The Long Game
by JustJane18
Summary: Piper is in trouble following the fight and finds herself without allies on the inside or on the outside. Alex had warned her, "You wanna get to someone, you gotta have a long game." Can she do what it takes to survive the long game and does she want to if it means being alone? Post Season One.
1. Chapter 1

The Long Game

AN: I am excited about all of the great stories being written about OITNB! An idea got stuck in my head about where the events of Season One might lead and I just had to start writing it down. It is dark, but in the way that life in prison is dark and beating the crap out of someone to save your life is dark. There will be angst, violence and bad things will happen. There will also be joy, relationships of the love (sex included), and loyal friend variety. Ultimately I am a huge fan of Piper and Alex so use that as a guide throughout. I own nothing of OITNB and all the credit for bringing us these amazing characters goes to Piper Kerman and Jenji Kohan.

I hope you enjoy and I do love feedback. I will do my best to post at least twice a week. Reviews and PMs happily accepted for praise, criticism or critique.

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Prologue-A Woman of Mystery

The sliver of the new moon shone down on the calm water of the bay casting a soft glow. The yacht was docked at the far end of the pier with the surrounding slips kept intentionally vacant. She could hear the soft lapping of the water against the side of the 60 meter luxury vessel as she gazed down from the railing that surrounded the open deck. The setting was perfect, an expensive Long Island mooring with all of the amenities. Just what she needed for the most important night of her life, one that had taken three years of planning, pain and hard work.

She raised the flute in her hand and took a sip of champagne. It provided that glorious burn as the sweet bubbly alcohol slid down her throat. She had promised herself she was going to save the good stuff for when the woman she had waited for all this time finally arrived, but one glass couldn't hurt.

"Boss?"

Who dared interrupt on this night when they knew how important it was to her. "You better have a really good reason for speaking to me tonight."

"I'm sorry; I wouldn't bother you if it didn't require your personal attention. We found Jorge. He was trying to hide in this fleabag motel off Times Square. Looks like the Colombians abandoned him after the deal went bad just like we knew they would."

She looked at the man speaking quietly but seriously. Antonio had been a consistently loyal presence in the aftermath of events since she got out of prison. She had complete trust in him. "Then we need to deal with the situation." She started down the stairs to the lower deck, but stopped midway. "Have you gotten an update on her?"

"Yes ma'am. She was released from Litchfield three hours ago. She's in the limo on her way. It'll be a couple of hours until they get here." Antonio seemed relieved to have escaped her wrath for now. He had good reason to be concerned; he had seen what her anger was capable of in the past.

"Thank you. Let's make this quick."

The two entered a small room near the gangplank of the yacht. A young man was kneeling in the room, handcuffed behind his back with a hood over his head. His breathing was audible and the fear roiled from him. With a wave of her hand one of the two guards removed the hood and he looked up at his captors.

"Jorge." She said his name hoarsely. "I am so disappointed. Did we not provide a good life for you? For your family? All I asked for in return was your loyalty. But you tried to sell that to a higher bidder. You tried to steal from us, betray us." She grabbed the young man by the back of his head and yanked hard, tearing out a chunk of his hair and causing him to cry out against the gag in his mouth.

After handing the hair to Antonio who placed it carefully in an envelope she returned to the young man and stroked his cheek as he sobbed. "There is no hidden agenda here Jorge. The rules and the punishment were clear. You knew the price for your deception. Your family will get that envelope in a few days." She placed a soft kiss on his forehead and turned to leave, addressing Antonio. "Take care of this. We will be leaving tomorrow for the Bahamas. Once we set sail I do not want to be disturbed."

Antonio nodded and she saw a glimpse of a Ruger 9mm being fitted with a silencer as she slid out of the room. The body would disappear into the deep waters of the Atlantic after they were well out to sea tomorrow.

She needed to take a shower and change clothes. What she had just done had been necessary, but still was unpleasant enough to make her slightly nauseous. Her business was brutal and sometimes deadly, but she didn't want to think about that tonight.

She tried to take her time, letting the hot water run over her body in the shower, her fingers sliding down over her breasts and further still until she was lightly stroking herself. She stopped. If all went well perhaps she wouldn't be going to bed alone tonight as she had done for all the interminably long lonely nights since Litchfield.

She stepped out of the shower and dried off then spent time carefully doing her hair and makeup before selecting an elegant dress that she hoped showed off her figure. Everything needed to be perfect. Three years she had waited for this reunion. Thirty six months that had changed her in ways she had never imagined possible. All she could do now was hope that it had all been worth it.

Emerging from the master suite she passed through the kitchen on her was back topside. The chef was preparing her love's favorite dishes and the aroma was delicious. Back on the deck outside she found a table for two had been set near the bow, complete with candles and a bottle of expensive champagne chilling nearby.

She leaned back on the rail this time, her eyes glued to the road that led from the clubhouse down to the dock. That was the direction that would change her life. If the woman she had waited for all this time could accept what she had done, what she had become to survive, they would leave together and never look back. If the answer was no, the limo that had picked her up near the prison would turn around, possibly to deposit her at some filthy halfway house where her love could try to make a life playing by the rules, staying out of trouble. The choice was still there, 'real life' or a beach in Cambodia.

Now that night had fallen the air was cool and the breeze ruffled her hair. It felt good and kept her from combusting from the anxiety that had her pulse racing. It was a good thing no one other than Antonio had seen her out here tonight; her nervous behavior would have damaged her reputation. To those who worked for her she was an ice princess, beautiful but heartless, seemingly carved out of cold marble.

She had pushed down all of her emotions for so long, but tonight they were bubbling just beneath the surface. Happiness, joy, love had become the stuff of dreams; words without connection to the life she had created to survive. Maybe tonight she could let down her barriers enough to feel those emotions, to see if they could be part of her life again.

Her reverie was broken by headlights. The limousine was snaking its way toward the gate at the head of the dock. Now she was starting to hyperventilate, that wouldn't do if she wanted to appear cool and collected. She watched as the driver opened the car door and helped the occupant out of the back seat. She couldn't make out details in the dark, but it looked like her love was wearing casual wear, jeans and a shirt. Probably the civvies she had available to walk out the doors of Litchfield. The driver opened the gate and the woman who would change her life one way or another once again began to walk down the long dock, the driver pointing to the yacht in the last spot.

She was frozen, a death grip on the rail behind her. She waited and watched each step the woman took down the dock and then up the gangplank. It was only when they were facing each other across the deck that she moved. Her emotions as well as the restrictions of her dress kept her stride paced and measured, but they soon met midway.

They looked at each other in wonder, almost in denial that they were within arm's reach and with a lifting of a hand they could touch each other. And then in an instant they were in a tight embrace, points of contact from cheeks pressed together to shoulders, breasts, hips and thighs. Their arms encircled each other, hands running up and down backs, fingers sifting through hair. It was several minutes before either of them could break away enough to speak, trying to get their emotions under control.

When they did, it was simultaneous.

"Piper."

"Alex."

"We have so much to talk about. I got your message, but I was still so worried."

"I know. Me too. Me too."

The chef appeared with two covered plates in his hands, nodding to the women as he set down the food at the intimate table and then quietly disappeared.

"You hungry?"

"Starving and that smells really delicious."

"I had him make your favorites."

"Uumm, so thoughtful. Let's eat."

The two women dined and drank with abandon, interspersing the meal with frequent kisses. Light music was playing that beckoned them to the open area of the deck. "Dance with me."

Several songs later they broke apart and drifted over to gaze out at the water from the rail. "I was standing here earlier, worrying about tonight, whether you would come."

"I'm here now."

"And I hope you will stay. But before you decide, you need to know some things, about me, about what has happened over the last three years."

"Can you tell me in the morning? Right now I'm hoping you will give me a tour of this amazing boat, concluding with what I hope is your really enormous bed covered with soft, silky sheets."

She answered with a nod and a kiss, taking her hands and leading her down to the stateroom. "Fuck yes."


	2. Chapter 2-Even Angels Bleed

Chapter Two-Even Angels Bleed

Breaking the skin, bones and teeth in someone's face with your bare hands was an experience Piper never thought she'd have. Every one of your senses is involved, imprinting new memories you will never forget. The sound was bad enough, sort of like stomping on dozens of eggs. The pain being inflicted on your own body is there, but masked by the immediacy of the need to survive. Worst was the visual which Piper knew she would see day and night for the rest of her life. Skin splitting under her punches, teeth flying through the air. The blood was minimal on the first strike, but on subsequent blows droplets sprayed from the lacerations onto clothing, her skin and the snow. The smell of the blood was pungent and even left a sort of phantom taste at the very back of her throat, bitter and metallic.

But the overriding sensation was something unique. Horrifying, terrifying and yet somehow electrifying all at the same time. Adrenaline rushing through your arteries making it impossible to stop, even when you know you should. Doggett's eyes rolled back in her head and her body became slack, lost in her absurd angel outfit.

It was the contrast of the red blood against the white snow that finally stopped her, along with the sheer exhaustion in her limbs. Piper's breath remained ragged even as she watched the skinny meth addict lay limply and awkwardly with her arms flung out to the side in some sick parody of her costume.

"Oh shit." Piper mouthed to the cold winter air. She thought she was going to be sick, but puke would probably be evidence. They could collect DNA, or analyze whether she had eaten the fake gelatinous cranberry goo when everyone else had avoided it. Which really wasn't going to matter with all the blood coming from her scrapped knuckles and the cut Doggett had made with the wooden cross.

She pulled the sleeve of her jacket down over her hand to collect the blood and rubbed the snow into the ground where a few droplets had landed before trying to get her wobbly legs to stand. It was like the emotional surge had passed and now she was depleted of the energy necessary to get her ass back inside to figure out what to do.

She stumbled a few steps and stopped to see if Tiffany was still breathing. If Piper tilted her head, she thought she could see small puffs of warm air condensing in the cold above Doggett's lips and decided she was probably still alive. Not being a murderer yet gave her the strength to stumble back into the corridor outside the chapel. The Christmas pageant was just finishing up and she was able to filter in behind a clump of inmates headed back to the dorms unnoticed.

Looking up at a clock she saw there was twenty minutes left until final count. If no one had discovered Doggett by then, the count would come up one psychotic short of a full load. With a slightly maniacal laugh she thought maybe she could convince the CO that Doggett had gotten her wish and been raptured. Without that, she needed a plan that would include explaining her injured hands.

Suddenly her expensive liberal arts degree seemed even more useless than usual. What fucking good was being supposedly smart if she couldn't figure out how to deal with a little aggravated assault? Then her answer walked into the dorm like Santa himself had decided to grant a Christmas wish, complete with the gray hair and fat belly. That asshole Healy. The one who had stood there and watched with a smug expression as Doggett had torn her apart verbally and then threatened to tear her apart physically as he walked away.

For one second she saw surprise in his eyes. He must have assumed that even a tiny speck of trailer trash like Doggett was capable of shanking the soft Wasp girl. He had no need to stick around and be caught witnessing the act, but now his cowardice was going to cause him problems. He couldn't just pop up and report the fight after the fact with her back in the dorms. Piper saw opportunity in Healy's desire to save his own ass. It would get her into trouble big time, but it was the only option she had come up with in the moment.

"Mr. Healy!" Piper called out loudly and enjoyed the fear that flickered over his face as he tried to figure out what she was up to. "You called my finance, Larry, and told him I was fucking another woman in here. Now he never wants to see me again." Piper was yelling now and had gathered quite an audience. She wanted everyone in the ghetto dorm to see what she was about to do. She had gotten right up in Healy's face now. "Why would you do that? Call him and tell him that?" "Why?" When he pushed her back as she knew he would, she fell to the ground making sure to land awkwardly on her hands, and started to sob.

This time the pain came right away. The bleeding started up again much worse, and it felt like bones had shifted in the base of her middle right finger. She sat back cradling the damage. Now she just had to wait.

Healy stood stunned for a moment until he heard Bell bark out for Chapman to stay down right where she was. Then he took out his cuffs and shoved Piper to the ground face first and roughly slapped them on her wrists. By the time he got her standing up again, Bell was there asking what the hell had happened.

Healy could feel the cage door closing on the trap of his own creation. He couldn't report Chapman for her fight with Doggett. He wasn't even sure if there had been a fight. He had turned off the camera to the yard so that no one would see he had been there. Maybe Doggett had backed down. He doubted the princess had done any real damage, she was unarmed and the meth head had made herself a sweet little weapon. Why Chapman had decided to attack him he couldn't figure out, but it didn't matter. She had walked herself straight into a nice long stint in the SHU. He could work out the details while she was gone.

"She attacked me. Started yelling and I thought she was going to hit me. I'm sending her to the SHU." Healy told Bell as he gave Piper a shove towards the door. It was Bell who called out, "Healy wait. She's bleeding pretty badly from that hand. Better get her bandaged up before you take her down."

Healy glanced back at the blood trail Piper was making. "Fine. I'll stop at the infirmary."

Piper kept her head down as they made their way out of the dorm and through the corridor. Healy told her to wait as he stepped into the infirmary looking for who was on duty. As soon as he was out of sight Nicky appeared with Alex in tow. "Piper what the fuck happened?" Alex looked completely dumbfounded. "We heard you yelled at Healy and punched him!" Nicky added with that wild look in her eyes.

Piper could see that Alex had noticed the blood drops tracing her path down the hallway. Alex tried to get behind her to look at her hand, but Piper just backed up against the wall and kept looking at her feet. The last thing she needed right now was a scene with Alex; the woman who had made it perfectly clear she wanted nothing to do with her.

"You better go, Healy won't be gone long."

Alex was trying to get her to look up now, going so far as to give her chin a little push with her fingers. "Pipes, what's going on?"

Finally Piper gave in and looked Alex in the eye, keeping her gaze steady and her expression cold. She knew she was going to be in SHU for a long time. She didn't want to think about Alex and she didn't want Alex to think about her. "Don't worry. It's my shit and no matter what I will never, ever go running to you for anything again, ever."

Alex stared at her, a myriad of emotions crossing her face in rapid succession from anger to disbelief to sadness to fear. She started to say something, but there was a noise at the door and Nicky yanked her back around the corner before Healy appeared with a medic who looked at her hands and moved a few fingers until she screamed. "Damn that right middle one is broken and you need some stitches. Come inside and let's take care of it."

The medic was just finishing the splint on her hand when the alarm sounded. Thirty minutes had passed. The count must have been slow without Healy, or maybe her absence confused the COs. Maybe Doggett had been found. Either way she was trapped in this room with Healy until the all clear. The medic went into the other room, tired of Healy's dirty looks after he finished caring for Piper's injuries.

Healy closed the door. "I don't know what game you are playing, but it won't work. You're going to the SHU for assaulting me and whatever happened with your religious friend will come out. Your little group of butch lesbians won't be able to help you this time. It serves you right if your fiancé actually dumped you, he deserved to know what you really are."

Piper was sitting on the exam table as he spoke holding her splinted hand on her lap. It was throbbing terribly. She let Healy's words flow over her without really paying attention. "I don't have any friends here, religious, lesbian or other."

Before Healy could respond Caputo stuck his head in the room. "Healy, call down and get an officer from SHU up here to transport Chapman. We've got a major fucking situation on our hands. I'm taking the medic with me, clear this space we might need it."

So they had found Doggett, and they were bringing her here. Piper wasn't sure whether she wanted to see the results of her actions under the bright fluorescent lights, but she could see Healy had a definite curiosity.

Caputo leaned into the room a little more. "Now Officer Healy."

Healy got up and left the room with a scowl. Caputo narrowed his eyes at Piper before leaving. "I'll be down to SHU in a couple days to take your statement Chapman. I can't imagine what you were thinking."

After Caputo left, Piper was grateful to have a moment to herself. Then she remembered she was about to have endless alone time in the SHU. She could hear Healy outside the door talking on the phone, and then silence. That was the sound she should enjoy, it was never silent in the SHU.

"Come on Chapman, time to move out." Healy motioned her out of the room. He took her into the hallway and started marching her towards the door where the transport would take place. They turned one corner and were about to move down the last hallway when they saw the group carrying Doggett on a gurney. The medic, Bell, Bennett and Caputo each held a corner as they rushed towards the main entrance where presumably an ambulance was waiting. Piper was thankful they never got close enough for her to see Doggett's face in detail, but she was pretty sure she heard a moan. They probably wouldn't be in such a hurry if she was dead.

As soon as the group was out of sight Healy grabbed her by the back of the neck and shoved her through the door back into the cold winter night. The van was coming up the internal drive as she stumbled, trying to catch her balance before she fell on her broken hand. "They will figure out what you did, you won't get away with this. I won't have to say a thing."

It seemed the light had started to dawn on Healy what had really happened. There was really nothing for her to say, so she didn't respond. Healy wasn't so inclined to be quiet. "No big speech for me this time? I remember you had a lot to say last time you were in the SHU." As soon as the SHU officer got out of the van Healy gave her one more push towards the open side door of the vehicle. "I hope you rot Chapman."

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Alex had spent 349 days in Litchfield prison up to and including the day of the Christmas pageant. Every one of them annoyingly long and generally boring. Alex had convinced herself that Piper's presence, including the drama and occasional sex, had only been a little spice to break up the monotony. Telling Piper to fuck off for wanting to cling to her non-threatening hetero underachiever would just take her entitled attitude down a notch. Piper deserved it for playing with her emotions. But then that night had come and Piper was gone and now she didn't know what to do.

The days between Christmas and New Year became a new kind of hell. The mind numbing routine hadn't changed, and she was still trying to shit and shower at 5am for a little privacy. But now every waking moment, and most of the ones when she should have been asleep, were filled with images from the hallway outside the infirmary. She could still feel Piper's cold hurt eyes boring into her as she threw her own words back into her face. When she did succeed in falling asleep, she was usually awakened by nightmares that always seemed to include blood dripping from hidden wounds on Piper's body.

By the second week of January Alex had still not gotten any reliable information about Piper's condition or whereabouts. A cone of silence had enveloped the CO's who seemed to have been scared into actually keeping quiet. The rumor mill had Piper variously in the SHU, or in Max, or in the hospital, or even in the graveyard as part of a cover-up. All Alex knew is that Piper wasn't there where she could see her every day and be mad at her for picking Larry.

Alex and Nicky knew more of the truth than anyone. They had seen Piper and knew she was injured enough to bleed but standing upright and talking. Yeah, she had definitely communicated loud and clear.

In contrast, Doggett had been seen laid out on a gurney being rushed out the front entrance to a waiting ambulance. Her meth head buddies hadn't been able to get any further information on her condition, even protesting that they needed to know in order to properly pray for their fallen leader.

So in the absence of any real information, everyone just made shit up, and that was driving Alex crazy. She needed to find out where Piper was and that meant asking for help from the outside. She considered Larry since he was on her visitor list, but she was afraid he might just lie even if he showed up to talk to her. Piper's mom wouldn't give her the time of day.

That left Polly. She knew from Piper that Polly was still her best friend and business partner. Alex made her way to the ghetto dorm to find Taystee.

"Hey, you still got Chapman's stuff?"

"I ain't givin you shit Vause. Chapman's bad ass and she's coming back someday. I was her bunky and I saved her stuff for her so you can just piss off back to the burbs." Taystee waved her arms at Alex as she spoke trying to get her out of her cube.

"I don't want to take anything. I just want a phone number for her friend Polly. It's in her book." Alex stood firm in the entryway.

Taystee sat down and frowned at the tall woman. "You gonna try to get some info?" When Alex nodded Taystee reached down under her bunk and dragged out a box, plucking out the book in question. She started to hold it out for Alex to take but then snatched it back. "Anything you find out you tell me first, ok?"

Alex nodded and looked up Polly's number then headed straight to the phones. She waited anxiously as the recording stating an inmate was calling from Litchfield played and then heard the connection go through.

"Piper? Oh my god is that you? I've been so worried."

"Polly. Please don't hang up. It's Alex."

"What the fuck? Why are you calling me?" Polly's voice had gone glacial, but at least Alex wasn't listening to a dial tone.

"Something happened at Christmas and they took Piper away. Polly I'm worried. I was hoping you knew where she was." Alex let every ounce of her concern pour down the phone line.

There was a long pause before Polly spoke again. "Do you know? What happened?"

"Not exactly. We heard she yelled at her counselor Healy, got in his face. He's calling it assault, but she didn't hit him." Alex couldn't say a thing about the 'other incident.' Another pause. "I just want to make sure you know where she is, that you, her family, Larry can keep tabs on her, make sure nothing bad is happening."

"Well it won't be Larry." Polly gave a sarcastic laugh as she said his name.

"Not Larry? I thought they were going to get married." Alex was trying not to get impatient with Piper's best friend.

"You really don't know, do you? I can't believe Piper didn't tell you. Larry broke up with Piper at Christmas. Apparently the same day that Piper got sent to solitary." Polly just sounded frustrated now. "I came up to see her two weeks ago. I knew she'd be upset. The guard told me she was in the SHU and not to come back until Piper called. I guess she's still there since you're on the phone."

"Piper's in the SHU. Larry broke it off the day she got sent there." Alex repeated in a monotone.

"That's what I said. I thought you'd know more than me what with the non-stop prison rumor mill and all. Besides you're the great Alex Vause." Polly sounded like she was choking on her words now. "Are you hearing my restraint right now, not pointing out that none of this would be happening if you hadn't gotten Piper imprisoned? And I'm not even using my favorite nicknames for you I'm so upset."

"Call me anything you want Polly, I probably deserve it." Alex couldn't even begin to process how relieved and how awful she felt. She was putting everything together now, how Piper had come running into her cube that day with a crazed look in her eye and she had yelled at her and thrown her out.

"Well this has been depressing. Listen, when Piper gets back, do you think you could just help her, maybe be a friend instead of always fucking her over? I'd say just leave her alone, but something tells me that just isn't possible with you two."

"Thank you Polly, for talking to me. I will do what I can when Piper gets back, whatever she will let me." Alex closed her eyes and realized a tear had escaped onto her cheek as she heard a click ending the call. She slumped a little against the wall. She had to face the truth, Piper Chapman was still inevitable for her.


	3. Chapter 3-SHUs and Boots

AN-Thanks for all the kind reviews! They really do make we want to write more and post faster, so keep 'em coming!

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Chapter Three-SHUs and Boots

Piper found herself amazed at how the human mind can adapt to a routine, even one as limiting and distasteful as days spent in solitary confinement. Losing her freedom and becoming accustomed to life in prison had been a major adjustment, but that paled in comparison to the mind games required to survive the SHU. Her world consisted of a ten by eight foot concrete box with a single door and one ventilation shaft. She had a toilet and sink as well as a metal bed frame that she found more uncomfortable than the floor. She remembered the basics from her short visit at Thanksgiving. It seemed her destiny to spend the major holidays here.

With constant light and no clock, she tried to divide 'day' from 'night' with mealtimes. She stayed awake for three meals before allowing herself to sleep. Her routine was to eat 'breakfast' then exercise as best she could in her cell. Following 'lunch' she was taken out of her cell every day. One day would be a cold shower and the next would be her designated hour in the 'exercise' room, which was really just a slightly larger cage in a bigger space. There was no equipment in the cage and she was always alone, so she just used the opportunity to pace ten steps each way before coming to the wall instead of the six she could get in her cell. Then it was back to the cell to wait for 'dinner'. All of the meals consisted of mostly inedible mashed up loaves of unidentifiable substances, but she tried to choke down what she could.

At first she tried to keep track of the days. But as time went on, it somehow lost importance. She didn't have a good way to keep track anyway except in her frazzled mind. She knew it had been over a week, maybe two. Every day at some point she would panic that she had been forgotten, that no one knew she was there, or cared. Usually the panic attack ended with hyperventilation and crying, but once or twice she had joined several of the other women in the unit screaming and banging on the door uncontrollably. Once she had forgotten about her hand and had broken the splint protecting it. That had earned her a visit from the medic who had simply nodded when she asked him to fix it as slowly as he could.

Between the meals, exercise, time out of cell and sleep, Piper estimated she was filling up about fourteen hours a day. That left a mere ten hours every day to participate in her remaining activity, thinking. She used different words to mix it up sometimes, daydreaming, pondering, contemplating, considering, but it was all just time spent wandering around inside of her mind making visits to the past or jumping into some vision of a better future, anything to avoid the despair of the here and now.

Some days she divided her thoughts among her family and friends, trying to give each his or her due. Her mother didn't take long. She would be worried but quite capable of carrying on despite her daughter's continuing fall from grace. A second martini before dinner would probably suffice to stifle any unduly deep feelings. Cal would be genuinely concerned, and completely incapable of showing it or taking any action. But Piper liked to think that at least his emotions were honest. She just wasn't ready to think about Larry.

Polly would be scared for her and really really angry at her. Piper could see her face, with too tired 'I've been up all night with an infant and now I have to worry about you too' bags under her eyes. God she had put her best friend through so much, she hoped that she could make it up to her. In some of the future daydreams she could see herself free, hanging out in the park with Polly while she held Finn in her lap making him laugh. Piper liked those dreams. She would try to draw them out, imagine every little detail of the trees, the leaves, and the grass. How she would want to take Finn down the slide at the playground, but Polly would yell at her and tell her she didn't know anything about babies and Finn was way too little to do that yet. Although by the time she actually got released from prison he probably wouldn't be. It was those little jolts of reality that would slip in and ruin the spell and bring her back instantly to her hideous situation.

The after dinner time often seemed to drag on especially long. Her inner traveler would be worn down from a long day of reality avoidance and she would miss the 'Do Not Enter' signs and the 'Wrong Way' signs, and finally the 'Bridge Out Ahead' signs and suddenly she was plummeting through the darkness of her failed relationships and striking the cold waters of 'you shouldn't be with someone out of fear' and 'you may never come running to me again'. The wet freezing liquid enveloped her like she'd fallen from the deck of the Titanic into the frigid North Atlantic and its only minutes until she can't breathe and slips beneath the surface into the pit of 'I'm all alone and it's my own damn fault', and 'oh god won't someone throw me a lifeline', and sometimes her mind surfer takes pity on her.

Those nights an image from the past will take hold and she is lucky to have so many to choose from being a flirty blonde who doesn't limit herself to loving only half the population. The girls wanted her because she's good looking. The guys wanted her because she's good looking and because she tells them she likes girls too. But tonight it's a tall dark haired temptress with smoky eyes and a sultry voice that floats her away into blissful memory.

_Piper had been with a woman before, but this was different. Alex had seduced her from the moment they met. Several dinners, clubs, drinks and more drinks had led inexorably to Alex's bedroom. More specifically it had led to Alex's bed where she lay with her legs spread wide and her faced turned into a pillow to muffle the succession of screams she continued to emit as Alex tongued her quivering clit into orgasm after orgasm. The woman between her thighs had a special gift and since Piper had always liked getting presents she wasn't inclined to stop receiving until she collapsed. Alex had assured her in that sexy voice that 'reciprocation could wait' so when that amazing tongue dipped lower to take on a more thrusting challenge, she figured she could muster up the strength for at least one more climax._

_It had been an awakening of sorts. Sex had been fun, good, great even sometimes. But it had never been so intense that she craved it, and Alex had brought her to that place. And then when it was her turn, she found she enjoyed the giving back as much as the receiving and after that night the two of them couldn't get enough of each other._

When the blissful veil of memory lifted and her eyes again focused on the gray brick wall before her, Piper found her hand was reaching down in the waistband of her pants, but the splint got caught up in the material. She had tried masturbating with her left hand to pass the time, but even with the blanket spread out over her body she couldn't get past the fact that some pervert guard was watching her monitored cell 24 x 7 on a screen in a room down the hall. It just wasn't going to happen for her here.

When her door opened after breakfast one day she looked up surprised to see Caputo standing in her room. She had been sitting on the floor, her knees tucked up and he took a seat on the edge of the bed frame with a clipboard in his hand.

"I need to take your statement about the incident with Officer Healy. Do you remember what happened?"

Piper felt a little disoriented from the disruption in her routine that his presence created. "How long have I been here Mr. Caputo?"

"Ten days. I would have come earlier, but I had some time off over the holidays and other things that required my attention more urgently. I need you to tell me what happened Chapman. Can you do that?"

Piper was grateful that his demeanor seemed calm, almost sympathetic. "Yes. I was really upset at him for calling my fiancé. I got emotional the night of the pageant and I yelled at him. I never hit him Mr. Caputo, I never even touched him."

The CO wrote on his clipboard for a few minutes before speaking again. "The inmates in your dorm corroborate your story. Officer Bell also said she never saw you strike Healy, just yell at him." Caputo held out the clipboard and Piper saw he had written a brief paragraph summarizing what she had told him. "Is this accurate?"

Piper nodded. "How long will I be in here?" She knew better than to ask, but it was as if some unstoppable force propelled the words out of here.

Caputo stood up. "I can't say for sure, but based on everything I would say 4-6 weeks total. You know you can't do that, yell at the CO's right?"

"Yes sir. It won't happen again, I promise. I just want out of here." Piper didn't have to try to look miserable, her body radiated anguish.

"I'll keep that in mind when I recommend your punishment." Caputo moved towards the cell door. Just before leaving he turned back. "Chapman? You don't know what happened to Tiffany Doggett do you?"

Piper looked up and furrowed her brow. "Something happened to Doggett? When?"

"The same night as your incident with Healy. She was beaten, badly. I know there was bad feelings between the two of you. You don't know anything about that?"

"No sir. You know I helped get her out of psych. We were on speaking terms." Piper paused for just a second. "Is she ok?"

"She's alive. In a medically induced coma for now waiting for the swelling to go down before they can operate on her face. The doctors think she'll come out of it eventually." Caputo scanned her face carefully before heading out the cell door. "Hang in there Chapman."

* * *

Now that she knew Piper was in the SHU for the incident with Healy, Alex felt her anxiety level out to constant concern without panic. Women did stints in the SHU all the time and came back to 'normal' prison life. There was always a period of adjustment, and she had seen a few who had never lost that haunted look in their eyes, but usually it just took some regular human interaction.

Alex was determined to help Piper on her return, as her friend, whenever that occurred. She had been angry. Even if her ire was justified she didn't wanted Piper to get hurt. Twice now Piper had rejected and left her and in her resentment she had said and done things she regretted. First she had turned Piper in to the Feds in order to reduce her own sentence, and then she had turned Piper away and refused to help at Christmas and Piper had been forced to deal with Pennsatucky alone.

Caputo had brought several of the inmates into his office to ask about Doggett. When it had been her turn, Alex had said the same thing every other woman had said. Didn't see anything, didn't hear anything, don't know anything. Even the members of the 'born-again' posse had stayed quiet not seeing any benefit to passing along rumors and suspicions.

As she began another day of fluff and fold in the laundry dungeon, Alex wasn't paying attention to much of anything until she suddenly felt uneasy. When she looked up she found that Leanne had three friends with her, and no one else was in the space.

Alex was thinking 'oh shit', but what she tried to say confidently was "what do you want?"

"Heard your girlfriend is coming back pretty soon from SHU." Leanne stepped up to her as the rest of her little gang spread out, cutting off any easy exits for Alex.

"I don't have a girlfriend." Alex scanned around at the women surrounding her. "Looks like you have a few. What would Doggett say?"

Leanne sneered at her. "We know Chapman couldn't have taken Tiffany alone. Figured you helped your little rug muncher."

"Don't be ridiculous." Someone was bound to come in to the laundry if Alex kept Leanne talking long enough. "Chapman got sent to the SHU that night for attacking Healy. And I had nothing to do with Doggett picking on someone she clearly couldn't handle."

Leanne gestured and the other women circled in closer. "Oh, we know it was Chapman. Until she gets back we're going to give you a message for her."

Alex felt the first blow to her lower back, right in the kidney. She fell forward onto her knees and landed on the hands. From there it was all boots. Leanne just watched and one of the others served as lookout as the remaining two kicked her hard in the gut. "Make sure no marks show."

When Alex went down and tried to curl up in a ball they stomped on the left side of her ribs a few times until a noise in the hall sent everyone scurrying away.

"Remember this if you even think about protecting Chapman when she gets back. She's ours." Leanne just walked to the other side of the room where she worked the washers as Alex tried to stifle her moans and sit up with her back against the folding table.

"Hey Vause! It's my laundry day, where the fuck are you?" Nicky called out from the front counter.

Alex grabbed the countertop and pulled herself up until she was leaning on the table with her elbows. "Nicky. In here."

Nicky had heard a rumor in the hall that inmates were being sent away from the laundry. Even though she and Alex had not repeated their 'Christmas present' quickie, Nicky had to admit she cared for Alex. When she saw it was Doggett's group leaving the laundry she was immediately concerned about Vause, apparently for good reason.

"Aw shit." Nicky ran over to the tall woman crumpled over the table. "What happened?"

"They kicked my ass." Alex tried to stand up until the pain in her left flank made it hard to breathe. "More specifically they kicked me in the gut and ribs."

"Why?" Nichols started to lift up Alex's shirt asking permission with her eyes.

"Said it was a gift for Piper. How bad does it look?" Alex tried to lift her left arm to see the area below.

"Bad. The bruise is already coming up. Do you think your ribs are broken? If they are you'll have to go see the medic." Nicky prodded at the area carefully.

"Ouch. No, it hurts, but I can take shallow breaths." Alex pointed at a stack of sheets on an adjacent table. "Rip a big strip out of one of those and we can wrap my chest. No way am I going to report this."

Nicky got the sheet ready and helped Alex lift her shirt. "You could have just asked me to feel you up Vause; you didn't need to go to all this trouble."

Alex grimaced as Nicky wrapped the sheet just under her breasts. "Please don't make me laugh." When they were done Alex stood and found she could move around well enough. "Thanks Nicky. I owe you."

"We're family Vause. We'll make sure this doesn't happen again." Nicky growled. "I gotta get back to work."

Alex nodded as Nicky left. It had been three weeks since Piper had been sent to the SHU. Alex had been so worried about her in that horrible place she hadn't even thought about what might happen on her return. Maybe for now it would be safer for Piper to stay right where she was.


	4. Chapter 4-Return to Abnormal

AN-Hope you all are enjoying the story! I know I'm taking Piper in a slightly different direction than most of Post Season one fics out there, but I just rewatched Can't fix Crazy and that look on Piper's face at the end is brutal. I'd love to hear what you think! I promise, much more to come.

* * *

Chapter Four-Return to Abnormal

She couldn't choke down another slab of prison loaf. Just the sight of it, laying on the tray all brown and gray, made her stomach lurch. She could hear words being spoken in the cell, mutterings about how she was working to keep her strength up, trying so hard, but everyone had their limits and she just couldn't do it anymore.

Piper blinked and shook her head a little. It was a new milestone; she was officially talking to herself. She stood up from her crouch on the floor of the cell and deliberately walked to the door, sticking the tray in the slot so she could at least hide the loaf from her vision.

Returning to her usual spot near the vent Piper tried to remember if this meal was supposed to be lunch or dinner. She didn't remember leaving her cell today, so maybe it was lunch. She thought maybe yesterday had been the exercise cage so today would be a shower. Leaving the cell had been worth the leers of the guards, male and female, for a while. Now she just didn't care if she smelled, it would be a new experience to see how bad the odor could get.

As the hours ticked by and no guard came to her cell she decided the loaf, which had disappeared without her noticing, must have been dinner. That meant she should try to get some sleep. She curled under her blanket and tried to shut down, but her mind was obsessed with visions of Doggett. She hadn't spent too much time dwelling on the crazy meth head at first, but since Caputo had told her Doggett was alive, it was as if she was haunting the cell in her makeshift angel outfit. That whiney grating voice would call out from the corners of the cell, or from inside the ventilation shaft mostly telling her she wasn't worthy of anybody's love, she wasn't worth nothing.

The first few time she had argued with the apparition. Of course Piper had made mistakes in her relationships, but who didn't? It didn't mean she was unlovable, did it? Larry just couldn't handle the prison thing, or the Alex thing, or much of anything that didn't conform to a comfortable life in the city. But he had loved her, probably still did.

Alex had loved her, put her in danger, put her in prison and then loved her some more. Piper knew she loved Alex in return, had told her as much even as she spoke words of rejection in the library. She had chosen the safe path with Larry, rebuffing the excitement and danger Alex represented, and in the ultimate irony Larry had decided life with Piper wasn't safe enough for him. So she knew she was capable of love, of being loved.

But Doggett's words still rang in her ears. She was unworthy, different than unlovable. Not deserving, unbefitting, contemptible even. There was undeniable truth in those sentiments and she was in no condition to refute them, let alone fight. When Doggett had lashed out verbally it had been cruel and crazy. But her retaliation, which had started as self-defense, had ended as a brutal attack against what she had refused to confront, the consequences of her own selfish actions. Pennsatucky had been the messenger and Piper had metaphorically shot her. Each punch had represented her own indecision, her toying with people, her ultimate weakness. She wondered if the person who had delivered that beating was all that was left of her.

So the hours passed slowly while the whispers tormented her until finally she barked out at them to leave her alone and let her get some sleep, and somehow it worked and she drifted off.

* * *

"Did you see her?" Morello called out as she spun into Nicky's cube.

"See who?" Nicky had just tossed her jacket down and was getting ready to go to lunch.

Morello rolled her eyes. "Chapman! I brought her up from SHU a couple hours ago, but then I had to do a mail run."

Nicky started down the row of cubes towards Alex's. "Did you tell Vause?"

"I just got here. Ain't seen anybody yet but you." Morello was scurrying to keep up with her ex but it didn't matter. Alex's cube was empty.

Nicky wasted no time in heading towards the hall. "Shit, she's probably already at lunch. Let's go."

It was Big Boo who spotted Piper first, standing in front of the cafeteria doors waiting for them to open to start the lunch service. "Hey! Chapman. Welcome back."

Piper turned towards her and gave a small nod. Everything was so noisy here in a raucous way. She wasn't sure she was ready to face a room full of women, but she couldn't wait to eat something, anything other than loaf. She thought if she got to the cafeteria early maybe she could eat, avoid a big scene and get back to her room.

Another half-dozen inmates gathered behind her, but Piper didn't turn to look. As soon as the doors opened, she made a beeline for the food line and gathered her tray and utensils. She was surprised when she looked up to see Flaca and Maritza running the serving line.

"Hey Chica! You're back. You look like you need some food." Flaca slipped some extra beans onto her tray before handing it to her.

Piper just looked down at the simple fare in wonder. She stopped at the closest table and began shoveling everything into her mouth, chewing as fast as she could.

"Whoa there." Big Boo sat down across from her and tried to get Piper's attention. "Better slow down or you're going to puke that right back up. Give your stomach some time."

Piper took a drink of juice and went right back to her food. By now Nicky and Lorna had caught up with them and sat down greeting Piper as well. When Piper didn't respond Nicky waved a hand in front of her face. "Earth to Chapman. Hey, you ok? Heard you just got back, that can be rough. You were down a long time." Nicky half-turned to Lorna. "She like this when you drove her up?"

Morello shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, she didn't say nothing. But that's how it is sometimes, you know."

Now Piper was practically choking on her food. Nicky gently laid a hand on her arm, but Piper pulled back immediately. Then Piper reached out and grabbed a roll off of Big Boo's tray and took a big bite. "What the fuck? Chapman, we'll help you out, but you gotta ask!" Boo hollered out.

Alex had seen Piper when she got in line to get her food. She wondered if she should say anything to her or just give her some space. She saw how the khaki shirt was hanging off her from obvious weight loss. But now Piper was attracting unwanted attention and she was worried it would escalate into something that could get Piper into trouble on her first day back. Sometimes that happened with people who had been in the SHU for long periods of time, and they ended up going right back down.

Alex grabbed her tray and headed to the table, sitting down right next to Piper. Boo was still grumbling loudly and Nicky tried to put her hand on Piper's arm again, only to have Piper flail pulling away, which pushed her right up against Alex.

She hadn't been sure what to do until Piper turned and looked directly into her face for just an instant before looking back down at her food. Her gaze had made Alex suck in her breath. Piper's eyes had been lost and haunted. Her face was pale, thin and haggard. After seeing Piper's reaction to Nicky, Alex hoped her decision was the right one. She didn't touch her, but leaned close and spoke calmly and reassuringly in her ear.

"Piper, it's ok, we'll help you, I'll help you. You can have my lunch if you're still hungry, just slow down kid." When there was no response she tried again. "Pipes, it's Alex. Do you know who I am? Where you are?"

Piper swallowed but didn't pick up any more food. When she looked up she scanned around at the women sitting at the table, landing last on Alex. Her eyes seemed to focus and one corner of her mouth twitched up into a tiny half smile. "Guess I was hungry."

Everyone exhaled together like they had been holding a collective breath.

Piper poked at the last of the beans on her tray with her fork. "Is it just me, or are these really spicy?"

* * *

Alex watched Piper carefully as she adjusted to life outside the SHU over the next couple of weeks. She took the voracious eating as a good sign and Piper could certainly use the calories. As much as Alex wanted to keep an eye on her all the time, Piper hadn't been assigned a cube yet, nor was she working, so Alex pretty much saw her only at mealtimes. She was concerned that Piper wasn't really socializing in the common room or talking much, but that was probably all just part of the adjustment process.

Watching and worrying about Piper gave Alex a distraction from thinking about her own problem. Leanne Taylor and had taken charge of the Born Again crew with a vengeance and Alex had become their favorite punching bag. After the first attack, Nichols, Morello, Boo and Red had begun dropping by the laundry as often as they could and Alex found herself with an escort pretty much everywhere she went in the prison, but they couldn't be with her all the time she was at work.

She felt foolish. She was smart, strong and crafty. She should have been able to execute a plan to get Taylor et all off of her ass by now, but everything she came up with carried the possibility of being sent to the SHU herself, either for beating Leanne to a pulp or for her own protection. Taylor was also proving annoyingly elusive. She was dumb as a box of rocks, but had a healthy dose of self-preservation and didn't seem to carry Pennsatucky's crazy gene. She always had one or two of her crew with her, even in the laundry.

That was proving to be the most unhelpful fact. Several of the meth heads, including Taylor, worked the laundry and they were finding it none too difficult to land an occasional gut punch or kick to the back when no one else was around. Every morning in the shower she was confronted with the evidence of her inaction in the form of multi-hued bruises over her chest, abdomen and what she could see of her back. The first bruises were just starting to fade as new ones popped up.

Alex knew this couldn't continue, but she also couldn't take any chances that would send her away unable to protect Piper. Taking the occasional beating was probably also keeping Piper safe from receiving the same treatment for now. She was careful to hide how bad it was from Nichols too, knowing her friend would retaliate, probably in spectacular fashion.

* * *

Alex hated being late for dinner. She had been half running down the hall when Mendez saw her, yelling for her to stop immediately. She still couldn't believe that fucker was back at work like nothing had happened. A one month suspension and he was right back to feeling her up as he patted her down. When he finally let her go she barely made it into the food line before they stopped serving. She grabbed a tray and found a spot at the end of the table where her friends were sitting. Surprisingly she found Piper was sitting right across from her, following her new routine of silently scooping in every scrap of food.

"Hey." She called over to Piper hoping to get her attention and maybe a smile. But tonight she just got a half nod without eye contact. Alex started to say something else but never got the words out before Leanne appeared. They were sitting at the table near the bussing station and it was easy for Taylor to drop off her tray, nonchalantly turn and lean towards Piper without drawing attention.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Doggett. Pretty soon you'll be in the dorms, or out at work, or in the showers, alone, and we'll give you a little visit. God is still on our side and he won't let you get away with hurting his disciple."

The whole time Leanne had been talking, Piper kept her head down, staring at her mostly empty tray. As soon as the meth head stopped Piper looked up at her. "You finished?"

When Taylor sneered and nodded Piper's hand suddenly shot out and gripped the front of her shirt, pulling her down right into Piper's face. Alex found her mouth was hanging open. She had never seen the emotion that was currently glaring from Piper's eyes. It was dark, malevolent and dangerous. When she spoke it was calm and quiet, but her voice carried.

"Don't fuck with me. I even think you are coming for me and I will hurt you in ways that make Doggett look like she was just getting a face lift." Piper didn't just release Taylor from her grasp, she shoved her hard, sending her flying into the dirty dishes and cups and making a loud racket.

Leanne extricated herself as gracefully as she could; holding her hands up to the COs to show everything was fine. She straightened out her shirt, now dotted with several food stains and muttered over at Piper, "We'll see."

Piper hadn't even looked at the woman again. She calmly picked up her fork and finished up the scraps on her tray. Alex glanced down at the rest of the table. All conversation had ceased. Everyone was staring at Piper. When she didn't return their looks, all eyes turned to Alex who realized her expression mirrored their own and just shrugged her shoulders.

Without saying a word, Piper got up, put her tray in the stack and walked out of the cafeteria. Only then did the spell seem to be broken, by Nicky of course. "Shit Vause! The SHU made your girl all bad ass!"

Lorna leaned in and whispered, "I think I may have peed my pants a little. That was scary."

Alex didn't know how to respond. She knew what she had seen in Piper's eyes and it scared her too, but now wasn't the time to discuss it. She got up to leave, her appetite was gone. She wanted to go find Piper and talk to her, get her to actually communicate, but there was one huge problem, which she relayed as she left. "She's not my girl Nicky."


	5. Chapter 5-Life in the Burbs

Chapter Five-Life in the Burbs

It shouldn't have been surprising that she was having trouble readjusting to minimum security. After nearly six weeks in a rectangular box everything seemed strange. Sleeping with other women in the room, showering when she wanted to, even the most basic of conversations took concerted effort. Piper found she was really only interacting at mealtimes when she couldn't avoid it. She mostly sat with Red, Nicky, Lorna, Boo, and Alex of course.

Sometimes she found herself drawn to Taystee and Poussey. They were friendly and didn't mind if she was quiet. The first time she had gone over they had just welcomed her and said 'good job' and 'serves the bitch right' and left it at that. She could sense that they felt differently about her, not so casual and with a respectful deference. Taystee had let her know she had a box of her stuff and would get it to her when they assigned her a bunk in the dorms for which Piper was very grateful. She let both women know she owed them.

Everything had been quiet on the Pennsatucky front except for the one lame confrontation Taylor had attempted at dinner. She had no intention of being intimidated by another crazy meth head. Neither Caputo nor the COs had said anything about Doggett's condition, so she tried to put it out of her mind.

Polly had come for a visit on her second Saturday out of the SHU. Piper knew she was probably mad at some level, but the way her best friend had given her a crushing hug and let out a series of gasping sobs had before sitting down made Piper wish Polly had come in dripping sarcasm and cursing her for being so stupid. Piper couldn't imagine how awkward it would be when her mother came to visit. At least there would be no tears, just truckloads of guilt and recrimination.

Piper had smiled and assured her everything was going to be fine and eaten the three bags of chips Polly bought. Polly had shown her dozens of photos of Finn and talked about his first Christmas and the pile of presents his grandparents and Piper's mom had given him. "I always said I would not have a spoiled child and now look at me."

"I can't wait to join in his corruption by modern consumerism." Piper had responded gleefully. Truly it was her most normal interaction in months, but as soon as she walked away Piper knew deep down that something fundamental about her had changed. She was not the woman she had been at Polly's last visit, which had been before Larry's last visit. His name hadn't even come up and Piper was grateful for that. She just wasn't ready to deal with his whirlwind of anger, acceptance, forgiveness and betrayal and the part it had played in her loss of control with Doggett.

* * *

Two days later Piper finally got the call to pack her stuff for her cube assignment in the dorms. Healy was still her counselor and had her report to his office to find out where she would be housed. She arrived at his office to find the door closed and the sound of voices inside. She waited in the hall for several minutes until Caputo came out, a scowl on his face. "Chapman. Mr. Healy will see you now."

Piper walked through the door and waited just inside the entrance. She was really hoping he would just tell her the dorm and cube number and let her be on her way. Of course he couldn't do that. "Shut the door Chapman and have a seat."

Piper slowly did as he instructed. Since her return from SHU she had avoided any interaction with the man who had stood by and allowed Pennsatucky to attack her. She loathed him deeply, especially since he still lorded such control over her life at Litchfield. She swallowed the bile that bubbled in the back of her throat just being in his presence and waited, sitting on the edge of the chair closest to the door.

"I have your dorm assignment Chapman. I'm also figuring out your work assignment, but that may take a few more days." Healy seemed particularly pleased with his second comment, a smarmy expression on his face.

"I'm not going back to electrical?" Piper had always assumed she would return to work there when she had her permanent housing.

"No. I just informed Mr. Caputo that I feel you are too dangerous to return to electrical, too many tools. You might decide to attack a CO or another inmate with a deadly weapon next time." He sat back and stared at her as if she would take his pitiful bait and jump over the desk to pummel him right there in his government issued chair.

"Ok." Piper didn't really care about whatever crappy job they gave her. "Where am I bunked?"

Disappointment flashed over Healy's face for an instant before he picked up a folder on his desk. "Doggett's been through surgery for her extensive facial injuries. She should be waking up and coming off of the painkillers soon."

Piper kept her face completely neutral and said nothing, which seemed to irritate Healy further.

"Suburbs, cube six." Healy barked. As Piper jumped up and started to leave he kept talking. "Your actions will still catch up with you Chapman. And I'm going to do everything I can to help make sure you go down hard."

Piper got out as fast as she could. There was nothing she could do about Healy right now, and she had no idea what Doggett would say when she was fully awake, if anything. She had mixed feelings finding out she was in the suburbs. Most of her friends were there. But Taylor and her born again crew also occupied several cubes, and of course Alex bunked there. She thought back to the terror she felt walking into the ghetto for the first time and meeting Ms. Claudette. Now she almost wished she was headed back there to hang out with Taystee and the others.

Walking down the line carrying her things she found she had been assigned to share a cube with Red. Nicky had told her about what had happened in the kitchen and how Red had lost her position as head cook. She had noticed Red didn't come to the cafeteria often to eat. Nicky had said she mostly heated up noodle cups and stayed in her cube.

"Hey Red. Guess I'm your new roommate." Piper announced as she placed her things down on her bunk. "You going to tell me to march my yuppie ass out like you did when I came to your kitchen?"

Red sat up and put down the magazine she had been reading. "Na. I think we'll get along just fine. You hear what happened while you were in the SHU?" Piper nodded. "I'm just an old lady who picks up trash in the yard now. Anyway you're supposed to be the new tough girl."

"Well, I do remember you taught me that perception was everything in prison." It didn't take Piper long to stow the few things she had from her stay in the room. She could get her other things from Taystee later.

Red raised an eyebrow at her comment but stayed silent and went back to her magazine.

Before dinner everyone stopped by to welcome Piper to her first stay in the burbs. Nicky couldn't resist the opportunity to comment on the benefits of having another lesbian around.

"I'm not a lesbian." Piper retorted. She hated anyone putting labels on her.

"Chapman, I have seen tons of straight girls come through here and get horny enough to ignore the gender of the person licking their pussy, and that's not you. Plus we all know you have history with Vause, ancient and modern, so don't even try to claim you're hetero." Nicky had made herself at home on Piper's bunk as she spoke.

"I didn't say I was straight Nicky, I just said I'm not a lesbian." Piper really didn't want to discuss her sexuality or anything about sex with Nicky. It made her think about Nicky being with Alex and that made her queasy.

"Whatever. You've still got Vause following you around like a puppy and staring at your skinny ass all the time." Nicky wondered how Piper felt about her friend and one-time fuck buddy and was willing to throw out a little verbal challenge.

Piper's eyes narrowed and her lips opened as if she was going to respond. Instead she got up and grabbed her towel. "I want a shower before dinner."

"Thank god. I don't need to hear any more about sex from my daughter." Red mumbled without looking up from her reading.

Piper hurried towards the showers. She had taken one that morning, but needed some time alone before dinner. Everyone was being very nice to stop by and greet her, but all the attention was overloading her senses and a few minutes feeling the water run over her would clear her head. Even if the temperature was more lukewarm than hot.

God how she missed steaming hot showers under a pelting spray. Baths were nice, glorious on occasion, but sometimes you just needed the massaging effect of hot water hitting your shoulders and the back of your neck hard.

She had taken baths with Larry. Nice, comfortable together time with oils that didn't smell too girly. He hadn't liked hot showers, saying showers were meant to be a perfunctory cleaning. She hadn't had the heart to tell him he was oh so wrong. Or maybe she had just wanted that particular feeling to remain a memory of time spent exclusively with Alex.

Piper slipped off her clothes and stepped into the furthest vacant spot and turned the water on as warm as it would go. She stood under the flow and thought about all of the showers she had taken with Alex. That woman had delighted in showers the same way she did, even more so when they took them together. Sometimes they just got clean, sometimes they got very dirty. Often they got clean, dirty and then clean again. Several of the hotels they frequented during their travels had the huge walk-in marble showers complete with the rain shower heads she loved.

_Piper's mind slipped back to one particularly memorable time on a layover in Singapore. It wasn't a country that Alex did business in, just a weather related stopover. They were staying at the Four Seasons and had spent the day wandering through the lovely botanical gardens and then shopping, followed by a stellar dinner. Unfortunately, the country was very conservative and homophobic enough that the few gay clubs were quite secretive. She had wanted to find one and go dancing anyway, but Alex had argued she didn't need to attract any police attention and the clubs would be all men anyway._

_In her not uncommon bratty fashion Piper had huffed off to the suite bathroom and gotten into the magnificent shower, where she immediately started to loosen up. Several minutes later Alex came in, fully clothed, and walked right into the shower, picking her up around the waist, lifting and spinning her directly under the shower head._

_Piper had thrown her head back and laughed. She could never stay mad at Alex. "What are you doing you crazy bitch?"_

"_I made a couple calls, found out about a club we can go to safely. If my girl wants to dance, I'm going to take her dancing." Alex's speech was somewhat interrupted by her frequent kisses to various parts of Piper's torso. _

"_Hmmm. That sounds nice. Thank you. But now I'm all wet and what you are doing feels really good." Piper wiggled so that her left breast was directly in front of Alex's lips. "Maybe you could convince me to stay in after all."_

"_Just wet huh? You look soaked to me, and well, I'm drenched." Alex started to use that growly low voice that made Piper groan and melt every time._

_Piper leaned over and whispered into Alex's ear. "Let me help you out of those clothes."_

"_Not yet, we've got extra traction this way." To prove the point Alex hoisted her a little higher and Piper willingly wrapped her legs around Alex's waist. "Can you grab the shower head?"_

_Piper smiled and reached up with one hand, grasping the plumbing tightly feeling the water streaming down her back. Alex moved one hand from her back around her hip before sliding it down into her wetness that was water and more. Piper had always thought the way Alex stroked her long fingers through her folds could only be described as amazingly sensual. Piper moved her hips ever so slightly back and forth in Alex's firm embrace, enjoying the light touches, but knowing she would soon want more._

_Now Alex was teasing her clit with light rapid flicks followed by firm pressure. Piper started to squirm until Alex grasped her back more firmly and murmured, "Hold on tight baby." When two fingers thrust into her, Piper tested the strength of the shower head with her grip. She used the leverage to move with Alex, pulling up and then relaxing down into the marvelous feeling of fullness. When Alex added a third finger it only took a few more thrusts before Piper felt delicious tension coiling deep within her, followed by a quaking release. _

"_Alllllexxxx." Piper moaned before her thighs lost all strength and she slipped down the taller woman's body to the floor of the shower. _

_Only then did Alex strip off her wet clothes, before helping Piper up with a smile. "Let's get cleaned up. I want to go dancing."_

Piper blinked as the water turned cool. Dinner had probably started while she was daydreaming. She turned off the faucet and dried off, wrapping the towel around her for the short walk back to her cube. As she passed by the row of empty showers she realized one was still occupied.

* * *

Alex had to hustle to grab a quick shower after work. The laundry had been particularly dungeon like today; steam with humidity and not in a nice spa sort of way. She just needed to rinse off the sweat before heading to dinner, where most of the other inmates would already be, including Piper.

In her rush to get out of the shower, Alex held a towel loosely around her body with one hand as she whipped the curtain open with the other. She stepped out and found herself directly in the path of an oncoming Piper. The collision wasn't hard, but the force of the bump combined with momentary shock caused Alex to drop her towel as she tried to catch her balance.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry." Alex sputtered as she reached down for the limp wet cloth that had somehow tangled at her feet.

Alex was a little surprised as she heard a soft chuckle. "It's ok Alex, I've seen you naked before."

Alex laughed and stood up slowly, drawing the towel into her hand without rushing to wrap it around her body. If Piper wanted to look, she had no objection.

Her laugh froze in her throat when she saw Piper staring at her midsection with a horrified look on her face. She tried hold up the towel as a barrier to Piper's sight, but the blonde simply shoved her hand away and reached out to touch one of the purple splotches on her hip. How could she have forgotten about the bruises?

Spinning away from the touch Alex hurriedly began to cover herself. Unfortunately her maneuver exposed her back to Piper and she heard a gasp as she finished tucking in the top of the towel. Piper had obviously seen the full extent of the damage. Facing Piper once again Alex found she was flustered and unsure what to do or say. She was usually so sure of her actions; it was a foreign feeling for her.

"Alex, what happened?" Piper's voice was quiet and filled with worry.

The truth wouldn't work. If Piper knew she might do something stupid. "I had an accident. It's getting better now. I …"

Piper held up a hand and didn't let her finish. "Just don't. Don't lie to me. If you don't want to tell me, that is your business. But I'm not stupid Vause." Piper stepped close once again. "You can tell me. Maybe I could. . ."

This time Alex did the interrupting. "No, Piper you can't. This is my issue; I'm taking care of it."

Piper raised an eyebrow and looked deliberately back down at Alex's abdomen. "Really?"

Alex knew she couldn't back down now and let Piper get involved. She drew herself up to full height and looked down at her. "Really. Come on, we're going to miss dinner if we don't hurry."

She watched as Piper shook her head, obviously disappointed, and headed for the door. "Fine, if that's how you want to be."

Alex took a moment after Piper had gone to breathe. She knew how she wanted things to be. She wanted to be with Piper, she wanted Piper to want only her, and most of all she wanted both of them to be out of prison and free. Since none of those were likely to happen anytime soon, she would do what she had to do, even if it wasn't what she wanted, and the number one item on that list was protecting Piper Chapman.


	6. Chapter 6-Saving Alex

AN-Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows! All forms of recognition are appreciated!

Chapter Six-Saving Alex

The next morning Piper had nowhere to be. Without a work assignment she slept in a little and ran to eat just before the food line closed. All of the suburb inmates were gone already, but Taystee was still finishing up. Her work in the library didn't start until later in the morning.

"Well if it ain't the white warrior!" Taystee called out as she beckoned Piper over. "Loungin' around this morning?"

Piper sat down and attacked her food. She was still feeling underweight and hungry most of the time. "Yeah. No work assignment yet. But don't worry, Mr. Healy has promised something special for me." Piper's sarcasm could only cover up so much of the disdain she held for the counselor.

"Hmm. Could be cleaning crew, toilets and all. Maybe trash detail, that pretty much sucks." Taystee entertained herself thinking of the worst jobs in the prison as Piper continued to eat.

Finally Bennett announced to the few stragglers, "Doors closed in five minutes ladies. Finish up and move out."

As they left Taystee directed Piper toward the ghetto dorm. "Come get your stuff. I've got it in a box for you under my bunk."

Piper nodded and followed as the other woman continued to spout off any gossip that came to mind. "Couple of newbies comin' in today I hear. Drugs of course, what else. That seems like what everyone is here for, even you, right?"

"Sort of." Piper answered although the words barely broke the other woman's stream of talking. By now they had arrived at Taystee's cube. Piper looked around. Whoever was sharing the cube didn't have much stuff. "Your roommate a ghost?"

Taystee laughed. "Nah, she's ok. Short stint, says she doesn't need much which is fine by me, no messy shit everywhere." With a grunt the box appeared from under the bunk. "Not like you Blondie, I mean, look at all this stuff!"

Piper sat down on the floor and flipped the lid open. She could see the box had mostly books in it, with a few letters and items she had bought at the commissary. She was surprised to see the item on top. It was a small address book. She picked it up and showed it to Taystee. "You calling my people while I was in the SHU?"

"Not me. That was Vause. She asked for your friend's number, the one who just had the baby? Didn't think you'd mind." Taystee held up her palms in mock supplication.

"No, no, that's fine. I'm just surprised. Alex didn't say anything about calling Polly, and Polly didn't mention it either." Piper put the book back and stood, picking up the box. "Thanks again for keeping the vultures away from my stuff. I definitely owe you."

"Works for me. Just don't get yourself sent back down; I can't protect your stuff in the burbs." Taystee called out after Piper as she walked away deep in thought.

* * *

Piper made a point of sitting next to Alex at dinner that night. She didn't say much, just watched and listened to Alex interact with the others, and what she saw and heard concerned her. Alex had always, without fail, oozed confidence. Part of it was probably being tall and beautiful, but much of it was a hard earned belief in her ability to make good decisions and take decisive action. Piper had seen Alex's indomitable attitude on countless occasions and several times it had gotten them both out of touchy situations back in the drug running days.

Now Alex was sitting slightly slumped and she had visibly flinched when someone had dropped their tray. Her eyes were darting around and not one sarcastic comeback had passed her lips during the meal. This was not the Alex she knew. Whatever was going on that had caused all the bruises on Alex's abdomen and back were clearly taking their toll on her psyche.

After dinner she followed Alex back to her cube. "Hey. Can we talk?"

"Is this about yesterday? Because if it is, there is nothing to talk about." Alex was immediately defensive.

Piper decided she would have to take this slow. She was worried about Alex, but she couldn't force any disclosures. She gave Alex what she realized was probably her first real smile in months. "How about I try this again. Hi, I'm Piper. We haven't talked much since I spent almost six weeks locked in a small concrete box and I wanted to see how you are doing."

Alex shook her head, but patted the spot next to her on the bunk at the same time. "I should be asking how you are doing. I've wanted to, but things were not good between us before you got sent to the SHU and I honestly didn't know what to say."

"I know you've been keeping an eye on me, and I appreciate that." Piper turned so she could face Alex completely. "I know you were worried enough about me to call Polly."

Alex looked up a little surprised, but just shrugged, which made Piper laugh. "How many foul names did Polly call you when she realized it wasn't me calling?"

"Not too many, I handled it." Alex smiled before looking more serious. "So you're doing alright?"

Piper gave a non-committal nod. "I think so."

"Well, despite me starting out putting topics off limits, I want you to be able to talk to me Piper, about anything. I was angry when you picked Larry and I said some shitty things in December." Alex tried, but just couldn't quite look Piper in the eye. "Maybe we could try to be friends again."

Before Piper could respond Nicky came hustling into the cube, her constantly disheveled hair flying around her shoulders. "Hey. Vause. Chapman."

Piper jumped up from her spot next to Alex. She didn't know if Alex and Nicky were still involved or just fucking occasionally or anything else and it wasn't her business. She waved for Nicky to take her place on the bunk and got ready to leave. She caught Alex's eyes once more. "Maybe, but the problem is we were never just friends."

* * *

The next morning Piper was called to Mr. Healy's office again. She was thankful this meeting was more perfunctory. With a full sneer in place on his face, the counselor told her to report to CO Bell who was in charge of supervising the cleaning crew. He made sure to tell her she was in charge of the prison garbage, emptying the cans from the kitchen, bathrooms and other common areas into the large dumpster. She would also be responsible for keeping the receptacles and the dumpster clean.

It truly was the worst job in the prison and they both knew it. Piper assumed her neutral face, one she was getting better and better at, and asked him if there was anything else. When he said no, Piper strode casually away.

She had taken about ten steps when Healy called out, loud enough for several other inmates in the corridor to hear, "Oh Chapman. One other thing. You lost all your good time for attacking me, so plan on scrubbing the dumpster for at least another year."

Piper stopped long enough to make sure Healy saw that he had been heard. Then she continued on without giving him a glance.

When she got back to the cube Red was there again. Piper had just intended to find her crappiest shirt and pants for work attire before reporting to Bell and was surprised to see her cube mate. "So you really don't go to work?"

Red put her finger up to her lips. "Shhh. Not much. I have an arrangement with the medic. He gives me notes for illness and injury in exchange for some help he needs. I go out on nice days, walk around in the sunshine a bit."

"Good for you Red." Piper found the ripped shirt she was looking for and quickly changed. "No surprise, Healy put me on trash."

"Sorry Blondie." Red offered neutrally.

CO Bell showed her around, pointing out what needed to be emptied and how to request supplies to clean the cans and dumpster. The bathroom cans were the worst; things always stuck to the sides. Piper took the opportunity to be distracted by calculating how much her sentence had just been extended by the loss of good time. Her original sentence of 14 months had included 70 days off for good behavior. That meant she now had to stay in Litchfield over another holiday season, which was really depressing.

It only took a couple days to get a routine down. She would start in the dorms after most inmates had reported to work. Next came the bathrooms, followed by the common rooms. After lunch she swept through the dining hall and kitchen which required a separate trip to the dumpster. She would hit the work spaces like electrical at the end of the workday. Last stop was the laundry.

Piper had seen Alex there one day, but not the next. She had seen Taylor and two of her crew on the day she didn't see Alex. She didn't like the thought of Alex working with the crazy meth heads, but they had all been assigned to the laundry since before she had started her sentence at Litchfield. She decided she would try to stop by the laundry as often as her own work assignment allowed and see how Pennsatucky's old posse was treating Alex.

* * *

The air in the laundry had a hum of electricity all day, and not the usual static variety that drove Alex to distraction. Taylor and her crew had been nearly silent today. Lately they had taken to throwing out insults and threats on a regular basis, but she had not been on the receiving end of a single one during her shift which was close to ending. The older, taller meth head whose name she could never remember had passed by the counter where she was folding towels repeatedly with no apparent destination. Leanne had kept to the washers at the other end of the large room, her minions venturing forth on her orders.

The oppressive silence had one major side effect. It left Alex with hours to think about her recent interactions with Piper. She had been so certain that Piper would need her when she got out of the SHU, not the other way around. So often inmates went into solitary cocky and defiant and came out traumatized and broken. Maybe that was the difference; Piper went in traumatized and returned, not cocky, but with an air of self-assurance that also seemed to have created a thick shield around her. She was keeping everyone out, even Alex to some extent.

They had started on a promising conversation, both acknowledging their previous harsh words, but wanting to move forward. Then Nicky had shown up and Piper had fled. Alex knew Piper was probably suspicious that she was still involved with Nicky and she wanted to clear that up the next time they talked. Alex decided she should initiate the conversation, maybe take Piper somewhere they could talk privately for a few minutes.

Alex considered bailing out of her shift early. She could always say she felt sick and needed to lie down. At most it would get her written up. The atmosphere felt off and her instincts told her it was time for a tactical withdrawal. She finished the stack she was working on and grabbed one of the large canvas bags the towels were stored in.

Alex didn't hear footsteps until the canvas bag was yanked out of her hand and stuffed over her head. The sound of multiple sets of feet was muffled by the thick material that now covered her down to her shoulders; in fact the sound of her own rapidly panicked breathing was just as loud. She bucked backwards, attempting to sling off the bag, only to find someone was directly behind her holding it with both hands.

The two women crashed into a second folding table until Alex heard someone, probably Taylor, bark out to get a hold on her. Multiple sets of hands grabbed her roughly around the arms and shoulders and pushed until she fell to her knees. Alex knew this was truly bad. She began to yell, flail and squirm with every ounce of strength she could muster, fueled by a huge surge of adrenaline. For a second she thought she could get free. It seemed there were only three women holding her, one on each arm and one around her neck and shoulders, and even without trained fighting skills she was no small woman.

Her struggle came to a sudden halt when the world tilted and not only her limited vision, but her hearing lost focus in a haze of blinding pain. Now her assailants were holding her up as much as keeping her from escaping. Leanne's voice came through the canvas at her left ear. "Hurts, don't it. One of my sisters in Christ told me about this. No marks, but it will scramble your brains something good. Nice of the library to keep this big Bible for us to read. Fittin' ain't it, you need to be getting some of the Lord's word into your sinner head. I'm thinking about ten thumps outta do it for today."

As the second blow landed on the back of her head Alex slumped forward. Her brain was sloshing around like condensed soup in a tin can and the pain reverberated from back to the front of her eyeballs and back again. She didn't see how she would stay conscious for ten concussive strikes.

Instead of more pain, Alex was released so suddenly she fell to her floor. She slowly extricated her head out of the canvas bag as she heard a scuffle followed by a screech of pain. By the time she oriented herself and her vision cleared Alex was shocked by what was happening.

Her attackers had been Taylor and three of her crew, one of whom was now sitting on the floor cradling her hand in her lap with one of her fingers skewed in an unnatural direction. The other two were glaring in the direction of their leader who was currently on her knees with part of a flat sheet wrapped around the front of her neck. Leanne's hands were scrabbling trying to loosen the hold Piper had on the ends of the sheet without success.

One of the crew started towards Taylor, but Piper tightened her hold. "Stop. I won't kill her unless you attack me."

Leanne vaguely waved them back as Alex got up off of the floor. She was focused entirely on Piper's eyes. Her pupils were huge and held a cold darkness she hadn't known existed in Piper until that moment. Seeing that expression she had no doubt the sweet naïve girl she had met in a crappy neighborhood bar all those years ago was fully capable of taking a life. She wondered if this Piper was the last thing Pennsatucky had seen before she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Piper, I'm alright." Alex made the statement factual and without judgment.

Piper looked at her with the first glimmer of emotion. "Good. That's good. I came in and saw. . ." The sheet began to tighten around Taylor's neck again as Piper spoke down to her. "I heard what you said to Alex you piece of shit. We both know I'm not much of a Bible reader, but I don't think Jesus would condone your use of the good book. My method won't leave much in the way of marks either by the way. So this is how it is now. You will leave Alex alone. If I even think you are hurting her I will take you out, and I won't get caught. Tomorrow you will go to Caputo and tell him the laundry is giving you allergies, a rash or something, and you really want to change your work assignment to the trash detail. You understand Leanne?"

They would all have to assume Taylor understood Piper's instructions as she slid to the floor gasping for breath, unable to talk. Piper walked towards Alex, but the two uninjured meth heads were still standing between them, unsure what to do. Piper solved the problem by punching one in the gut and stomping hard on the other's toes with the heel of her boot.

Alex watched as Piper started to hold out her hand as if to take Alex's, then paused in indecision. Alex had no such compunction. She reached out to Piper, interlocking their fingers as soon as their palms touched. "Let's get out of here."

Piper looked down at their joined hands and blinked before the smallest smile touched her lips. She nodded as Alex led them around the moaning remains of Pennsatucky's crew and back to the dorms. She hadn't noticed that Piper was carrying the huge hard backed Bible in her other hand. When they arrived back at the suburbs Piper steered them over to Sister Ingalls' cube.

"Sister, maybe you could make sure this book is kept in a secure place. Seems certain Christians want to use it for unholy purposes." Piper finished by handing the book to the older woman.

Sister Ingalls gave them a slightly confused look, but took the Bible from Piper. "Certainly. It always brings me solace Piper, perhaps it could do the same for you."

Piper gave her a kind but slightly amused smile. "I will find no solace in this place Sister, but thank you."

Alex followed Piper out into the aisle that ran the length of the cubes just as Taylor and the others came into the dorm. Piper strode to the middle blocking the path Taylor was taking to get to her cube. She didn't say anything, just waited for Taylor to act. It took only a moment before Leanne looked down at the ground and shuffled around Piper with a muttered apology before scurrying into her cube.

Two seconds later both women heard a huge guffaw followed by loud clapping. Nicky had watched the walking wounded of Pennsatucky's crew and wondered who was responsible. When she saw the showdown her question had been answered. "Way to go Chapman!"

All Alex wanted to do was get somewhere where she and Piper could talk, but fate seemed to have other plans. Before they even got to Piper's cube Bennett walked up to them. "Chapman, you need to go see Caputo. Doggett's fully awake and telling anyone who will listen how you tried to kill her."


	7. Chapter 7-You Can't Save Everyone

AN-Hey all you great readers out there! I have a lot more planned for this story, but I would love to hear what you think so far! Thanks and enjoy.

Chapter Seven-You Can't Save Everyone

Piper knew Alex was not a morning person by nature. A lifetime of late night high stress meetings, recruiting in clubs and partying for pure entertainment meant morning was the time ordinary schlubs arose and went about their boring lives. But Piper liked mornings. Her 'perfect day' scenario often started with an long run through the park in the crisp dawn air.

Piper frowned with the knowledge that this day would never be anywhere near to ideal, not inside Litchfield, but she was determined to make it the best she could, especially after what Alex had suffered yesterday. Piper started with an early morning visit to her bedside to check how she was feeling and deliver some aspirin.

She crouched down in the predawn winter darkness, soaking in the beauty of Alex's relaxed features framed by her luscious dark hair. To make matters more enticing Alex was wearing a tank and boxers and the blanket over her was down at her waist. Piper couldn't stop her eyes from tracing down the long smooth neck to the defined collarbone and onto the slowly rising chest of the only woman she had ever loved. Sighing she thought back to another winter morning, long ago, when her feelings for Alex had been solidifying into something that had felt real, permanent at the time.

_The park had a stark appeal. The trees were barren of leaves and the brown earth was still damp from the last of the melted winter snow. Piper could see each exhale like a metronome keeping time with her long strides. It was the perfect weather for a real runner. The hordes of tourists were still months away and even the locals would be tucked into warm beds on this Sunday morning._

_Six miles and a warm shower later Piper found herself kneeling next to the still sleeping form of her lover. The run had been necessary to burn off some of the anxiety and emotion Piper had been stewing in when she should have been sleeping._

_Alex had taken her to what she called a 'recruiting' club the night before, full of spoiled young men and women living off of daddy's Wall Street bonuses. She had warned Piper repeatedly that the evening was primarily for work; she needed new mules. Alex had explained her cadre was running low since they had met. Alex didn't have to say she wasn't using the same 'techniques' she used before Piper had entered her life, she had just asked if Piper wanted to stay home and promised to 'behave.'_

_Trying to appear confident and sophisticated Piper had insisted it sounded like fun to watch Alex in action. In reality the evening had felt as entertaining as having a root canal and bikini wax at the same time. Alex had ensconced her at a table by the dance floor with a bottle of champagne, having a glass with her until the club started to fill up. She had then moved her operation to a discrete booth with a good view of the dance floor and the bar, leaving Piper at the table._

_Watching a series of young good looking women enjoy libations courtesy of her lover was bad enough. They would giggle and fawn as they scooted none too subtly closer to Alex on the soft cushions. When they began to touch and stroke Alex's arm she would take a hand and escort them to the dance floor._

_When the first girl, athletic with shoulder length brown curls, put her hands on Alex's hips, her lover had given her a quick sheepish smile as if properly embarrassed and Piper had rewarded her with a deep glare and gulp out of her bubbly flute. The second potential mule had been a blonde, similar in shade to herself, but the attached body had been strikingly different. This girl had curves to spare and displayed them brazenly. When Alex had taken her for a dance, the blonde had pressed against her love, melding into the taller woman unashamedly as they swayed to a deep slow beat. Piper's mouth was stuck agape. Her vision was frozen on the two women until Alex looked directly at her, holding her gaze, and then proceeded to move a hand to the back of the blonde's neck and pull her closer. Alex was whispering in the blonde's ear, even as those fierce green eyes spoke volumes of lust and love across the room to her. Piper had gotten up, blown Alex a kiss, held up her middle finger, and taken a cab back to the apartment._

_Now showered and naked Piper got up from the side of the bed and moved around to the other side where she could ease in behind and spoon Alex without too much disruption. She lifted the shirt Alex was wearing enough to press her breasts into Alex's back as one hand drifted to her lover's front, smoothing along her stomach before cupping her breast and massaging gently. _

_That finally got the first glimmer of reaction. Piper grinned to herself and moved her hand to the other breast, this time palming and rolling the nipple into a stiff peak, then moving back to give the other the same treatment. She leisurely swapped back and forth between Alex's breasts for some time until she was certain her lover was awake based on the small rock her hips had begun, her ass pushing ever so slightly back into Piper's front._

_That was Piper's cue to begin the journey of her hand, knowing Alex had conveniently slept bare from the waist down. She still took her time, stroking the soft skin of her hip before pushing Alex's top thigh up giving Piper access to caress her cheeks and the sensitive skin in the crease between her thigh and center, creeping closer and closer until Alex emitted a delicious low moan._

"_You were very naughty last night." Piper began to stroke her outer lips with the back of two fingers, up one side and down the other._

"_I warned you. You don't think you are the jealous type, but I've seen fire in those blue eyes of yours." Alex's voice was gravely with sleep._

_Piper stopped her stroking and simply cupped Alex's mound in her hand. "Is that really what you want to say to me right now?"_

_Alex groaned this time and tried to buck against Piper's palm seeking pressure without success._

_Piper gave her a low chuckle. "You need to tell me about last night, after I left. Tell me about the women."_

_Alex sighed then settled. When she started talking, Piper began touching her again, this time more firmly. "Well, you saw the hot blonde. We danced some more, then had another drink. She brought two friends over and we went through a bottle of Evan Williams. I think at least two of the three will work for me."_

"_Did she excite you, that blonde? I saw the look in your eye as she pressed against you." Piper was circling her opening, dipping into the copious wetness and swirling without penetration._

"_Honestly?" Alex asked and squirmed as she waited._

_Piper paused, two fingers poised. "Yes, be honest."_

"_No, she didn't excite me. That look was for you. I wanted your body against me, no one else." Alex exhaled with relief as Piper thrust into her slowly and stopped._

"_Good. I want this to be for me only. I know you have to work, but I won't share you this way, with anyone." Piper used her own thigh to power her thrusts filling Alex deeply and increasing her pace to match her lover's need. When Alex attempted to turn, Piper held her in place with her body. "No, you had your fun last night. I'm in charge this morning, and I say you stay right where you are."_

_It didn't take long after all of the touching and teasing before Alex cried out hoarsely in climax, Piper relishing the pulsations grasping at her nestled digits._

That had been a great day. They had eaten brunch and read the paper and then found themselves back in bed, where Alex had taken back her usual control and shown Piper exactly how much she did not need to worry or be jealous. Piper reached out and smoothed some stray hairs back from Alex's face and green eyes snapped open. Time in Litchfield had certainly altered Alex's reactions.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. How do you feel?" Piper took her hand back and rested it on the edge of the bunk.

Alex relaxed her head on the pillow and closed her eyes again. "My head is pounding, but otherwise fine."

Piper held out two aspirin and grabbed a bottle of water. "Take these. I traded Red for them."

"Thanks." Alex sat up enough to swallow without choking and immediately lay down again. "For everything. You saved my butt yesterday." Alex yawned sleepily.

"Go back to sleep, it's still early." Piper whispered and started to get up until she felt Alex grasping for her hand. She sat back down on the floor smiling and keeping contact. "I'll be here when you wake up."

The sounds of inmates starting their morning woke both women an hour later. They looked at each other shyly. "Headache better?"

"Yeah, much. Although I think I'll stay here until work time." Alex decided.

"Then I'll be right back." Piper jumped up and left, returning two minutes later dressed in her work clothes and holding out a cereal bar. "Wanna have breakfast with me?"

Alex sat up and invited Piper to sit next to her. "Thanks. That's probably all the food I can handle." The two sat quietly munching for a moment until Alex remembered Doggett was fully awake. "Piper, what happened with Caputo?"

"Not much really. He told me Doggett made a statement that I attacked her outside during the Christmas pageant. But without any witnesses or other evidence he said it was unlikely to go anywhere, especially since everyone saw me yell at Healy in the dorms. He did let slip that the video for the yard wasn't working that night for some reason."

Piper took Alex's hand in both of hers. "Last night I wanted to tell you I've never been so angry and so scared all at once. When I saw you being held with that canvas bag over your head and Taylor hit you all I could see was red, even worse than with Doggett. I don't know exactly where we stand, but you should know you are the only person who has ever made me feel emotions so strongly. Certainly Larry never did. It was always, I don't know, soft with him. I thought I wanted that, but I don't. There was never any question that I loved you, you know that right?"

Alex nodded, but didn't say anything.

"You're afraid I'll hurt you again. I don't blame you Alex. I'm going to have to talk to Larry, at least once more sometime, just for closure. He made it clear he was done with me, and I'm done with him. I'd just ask you to give me time, to show you what you mean to me, ok?"

Piper finished by pressing her lips against the back of Alex's hands.

Finally they both had to get up to head to their respective jobs. Piper decided to walk with Alex to the laundry before hustling to her trash detail. They passed Taylor in the hall who immediately said she was on her way to request a reassignment.

After she passed, Piper smiled. "Good, my last day smelling like garbage!"

When they got to the door of the laundry Alex peeked in before pulling Piper just inside the room and pushing her up against the wall. She touched Piper's cheek and brushed their lips together before giving her a quick shove back towards the hall. "I'll see you later?"

Piper smiled bigger than she had in months. "I'll be back at the end of your shift."

* * *

It turned out that Alex didn't see Piper until after dinner that night. This time it had been Healy who had called Piper to his office. Alex waited in her cube with a sandwich she had sneaked from dinner for Piper.

"I really hope that is for me." Piper was practically drooling at the sight of food as she sat down on Alex's bunk. When Alex handed her the sandwich she took a huge bite and mouthed around it. "Thank you."

"So what was Healy bugging you about now?" Alex waited until Piper could swallow and answer.

"He made me sit there for an hour, not saying anything while he messed around on his computer. I think he was just trying to get me angry. The only noise was my stomach growling from missing dinner. Finally he just gave me my new work assignment and told me I could leave." Piper smiled and took another bite.

"So where did he find to stick you now? Yard duty with Red?" Alex frowned wondering if there was anything they could do about Healy until she heard Piper laughing.

"Turns out the only open job was one vacated today by Leanne Taylor. So as of tomorrow I am working in the laundry. Think you can train me?" Piper scooted closer to Alex thankful that her cube mate seemed to spend all of her time away. "Can you keep me in line, make sure I don't mix up the whites with the coloreds and give everyone pink sheets?"

A slow smile spread across Alex's face. "I think I'll have to keep a close eye, you seem to be quite capable of getting into trouble." Alex took a quick look over the short wall to see Bell in the guard station doing a crossword puzzle. She gently pushed Piper onto her back and lowered her body down. It was the most contact they had engaged in since everything had gone wrong and both women groaned at how good it felt.

Alex nuzzled Piper's neck then trailed a few soft kisses along her jaw line before joining their lips. She traced Piper's upper lip with the tip of her tongue then moved inside to explore her sweet mouth. Alex knew they were too exposed to do more, but she couldn't seem to stop until Nicky's laugh brought her head up.

"Hey lesbian and not lesbian kissing. You might want to find someplace more private to engage in your non-gay behavior."

"My dessert for a week if you'll be lookout for five minutes." Alex gave her a look that was half glare, half prayer.

Nicky stationed herself at the entrance to the cube, her back to them. "Sure, for you Vause. Plus I don't need the new resident bad ass having it out for me."

Alex didn't bother to listen to Nicky's ramble. She was already kissing Piper again, loving the feel of Piper's arms around her back, her hands running up and down from her shoulder blades to her hips, which she would give a little squeeze on each pass. They kissed for several minutes until Nicky coughed loudly and they both sat up with a jolt.

Nicky laughed again at their flustered appearance. "Bell is getting ready for final count. Time to go Chapman."

* * *

The next morning Piper met Alex for breakfast. They sat side by side with Nicky and Morello smiling and making cracks at them all through the powdered eggs and dry toast. For the first time Piper wasn't dreading her job at Litchfield. She and Alex would have to be careful, but working together was a huge bonus.

Piper got back to her cube to find Red pacing nervously. "Something happened. Johnson, the medic? He's gone. Fischer told me he's been sent down to the infirmary at max. That's bad."

Piper had been getting ready to head to the laundry as Red spoke. It surprised her when the older woman grabbed her arm. "Chapman, you need to cover for me. Say I was at work in the yard when you were out at the dumpster."

Piper's first reaction was to yank her arm away. She liked Red, but could never forget the lesson she had been taught when she first arrived. Those days of starvation had been a brutal introduction to life in prison and Red had been more than happy to share her wisdom on being in charge. This was the woman who had announced that Piper would leave prison as a skeleton in a body bag. "Why should I do that? I'm still under suspicion for Doggett."

"No one else will do it. Plus it has to be someone who goes outside." Red was speaking almost desperately.

Piper contemplated the request for a minute. Her nature was to help, but the last time she had done that Doggett had been released from psyche and everything had gone to shit. She also wasn't lying when she said she didn't need to draw any more attention from the COs. But mostly it was the sad reality of life in Litchfield, just as Red had explained it to her months ago.

"I can't help you. You know better than anyone, there's rules in this place." Piper headed out of the cube just as Mendez walked in with Caputo trailing. She stepped out and to the side waiting long enough to hear what was going to happen.

Caputo spoke first. "You've been malingering Red. Johnson has admitted to giving you passes to stay off work and he has been re-assigned. We know you haven't been doing your job in weeks. With your previous problems in the kitchen, you're in big trouble."

Mendez sneered so hard it looked like his moustache was taking flight. "This has been a long time coming Red. You thought you were so high and mighty? Looks like the mighty have fallen."

"Shut it Mendez." Caputo stopped the CO's tirade. "You're going to the SHU Red. Get your jacket. Officer, please escort Red to the van."

Caputo stepped out and Piper had to scurry towards the hall. The last thing she saw was Mendez gloating and pushing a handcuffed Red, who suddenly looked about eighty years old, down the hall.


	8. Chapter 8-Winter Interlude

Chapter Eight-Winter Interlude

The next three weeks were the most pleasant Piper had ever spent in Litchfield. It was difficult to imagine being 'happy' in prison, but the smile on her face and joy in her heart revealed the truth each day. Her weight was up and she found interacting with her fellow inmates easier. This despite the harsh winter that had descended on upstate New York with the continued piling of snow, preventing her from running outside.

Of course much of her change in attitude was due to a tall, raven-haired beauty who was by her side almost day and night now that she was working in the laundry. Alex had always been the type of person who made you feel like the center of the universe when she focused on you, and Piper was directly in her gaze. Being on the same schedule meant Alex waking her for an early shower, together when they could manage it, followed by breakfast and work.

Who knew a dime an hour prison job could be so rewarding? Several times each week Alex, who was now the designated leader in the laundry, found reasons for the remnants of the meth heads to be out picking up dirty laundry and delivering clean sheets and towels. Alex had learned the hard way with bruises that the COs rarely came into the area, and she had a way of timing the absence of the other workers with the washers and dryers cycling, leaving the two of them free to find a secluded corner for twenty or thirty minutes. The sound of the dryers was particularly effective in drowning out the moans Piper found she was constantly emitting under Alex's talented fingers and mouth.

The afternoon trysts in the laundry weren't the only alone time Piper was getting with Alex. Since Red had been sent to the SHU, she had become the envied solo occupant of her cube. Piper knew it wouldn't last. Either Red would be back or they would put a new inmate in eventually, but in the meantime she intended to get the most out her private space.

The first night Alex had come practically crawling on hands and knees keeping out of sight under the low walls Piper had laughed until she found herself pushed back on her bunk and kissed senseless. Suddenly the advantage of Red's unfortunate departure was made clear. That night Alex had mostly just talked to her, about how scared she had been when Piper was in the SHU, how hurt she had been at Piper picking Larry and how the uncertainty of the future frightened her. She told Piper that Nicky had been a one-time thing in her confused state and then got to the heart of the matter.

"Pipes, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared shitless that you are going to leave me again someday, whether that is going back to Larry or someone else, or just getting out of here way before I do and getting on with your life. It's not like I want to hold you back, hell I couldn't even if I did want to. I just don't think I can take you breaking my heart again."

Alex had pulled her into the cocoon of her arms and interspersed kisses on her ear and neck with the words. She kept Piper from squirming away until she was finished. "I know it's not fair to ask, but I need to know if this is a 'live in the moment' thing for you or an 'I choose you'."

Piper waited until she felt Alex's almost desperate grip loosen enough that she could turn and face her on the narrow bunk. Even in the dim light from the hallway she could see the hesitant look on Alex's face, her brows slightly knitted and the corners of her mouth turned down. She reached up her free hand to stroke the worry away as she answered. "I choose you Alex Vause. I wasn't ready ten years ago, I wasn't even ready ten weeks ago, but I'm ready now. Let me show you."

Piper kissed Alex softly, holding in the moan that wanted to escape her throat. Noise would carry easily in the quiet of the night around the brick and tile space. But that didn't stop their silent gentle caresses and when the closest neighbors began snoring loudly they allowed themselves more pleasure, touching those places they knew would bring the other to climax and swallowing the inevitable exclamations with open lips and mouth and breath.

After that they fell into a routine. A couple nights a week Fischer was on in the suburb dorm and she never did more than look out from the CO bubble except for a lights out and lights on check. Bell usually slept most of the night when she was on unless something woke her, then she was a bitch on wheels. Once Alex had to run to the bathroom to avoid getting caught with her when an argument had woken the grumpy CO. But it was worth it for the three nights a week when Alex could come to her bunk and spend almost the whole night.

They didn't make love every night. Sometimes Piper just allowed herself the luxury of getting real sleep safe in her favorite position as little spoon. Alex would hold her and stroke her hair and Piper could close her eyes and her mind would fill in a king size bed with soft sheets and the last embers glowing in the fireplace across the room as she drifted off more content than she had ever felt.

* * *

Candace Johnson loved pills. Xanax, Valium, Oxy were all great. Methadone was even better if she could get it and Fentanyl patches were the ultimate score. She started her addiction by seeing several doctors with various complaints of back and abdominal pain and the scripts flew off the prescription pads, at first. When the legitimate dosages leveled out, she turned to supplemental street purchases. Without a job she had few options to fund her habit. She tried to avoid being on her back with her legs open, although she had resorted to that option a couple of times in desperation to stay high.

Instead she hooked up with a distributor from a local pharmaceutical plant. She would pick up the pills in Ohio and take them to a guy in New York City in exchange for a percentage of what she was carrying. It hadn't felt like she was a drug mule, after all these were legal medications made under strict laws. She told herself she was just assisting in an off-label market, at least until the DEA arrested her at the distributor's apartment.

She had never considered herself an addict. They were just pills everyone used for pain. She wasn't snorting or using dirty needles in her arms. She only did what it took to get the edge off the disappointment of her parents, the feelings of failure for barely graduating high school, the string of failed relationships with underachieving men. She could fool herself until she was in jail and the cold-turkey detox began. Then she understood the power of addiction.

The rebound pain, both physical and psychological was the worst of her 22 years. The jail nurse gave her a laughably tiny dose of Valium and sent her back to her cell where she sweated and shook and vomited and shit for the next four days, trapped in her mind reliving every crappy thing that had ever happened to her. Why couldn't her parents understand? She didn't have the focus to study and she had no interest in the boring middle class life they led. Her older sister was everything she wasn't; smart, college graduate, married to a great guy. Life had just dealt her a crappy hand and she was doing her best to make herself happy, not that her perfect family would ever understand. Who wanted to work their ass off for 2.5 kids and a house in the suburbs anyway?

By the time she pled guilty to federal drug trafficking charges and received her 22 month sentence, she was physically clean. But her mental state had never been more fragile. She wondered what it would be like imprisoned in a facility with hundreds of crazy, dangerous convicts at the Litchfield Correctional Facility in New York.

* * *

In the morning Piper's eyes opened to the same sight as the last three weeks, Red's empty space and unattended belongings. Alex had slept in her own bunk last night since Bennett was on. He was a nice enough guy, but always did rounds in the middle of the night by the book, so Alex could not stay with her on his nights.

As she was getting up and ready to go take her shower Bennett appeared at her cube. "Morning Chapman."

Piper felt a little uncomfortable in her robe and tightened it around her middle. "Officer Bennett?"

"I've been instructed to pack up Red's things." Bennett called out loudly. More quietly he then added, "I thought I'd give you the chance first. I'll be back in an hour."

"She's not coming back?" Piper asked. She had presumed Red would return after a week or two in the SHU and they had all started to worry as the days dragged on.

Bennett looked around before responding. "She was moved to the medical unit about a week ago. She had some heart problems. I think she'll be back eventually, but it may be a while and we've got new inmates who need to be assigned a bunk."

Piper ran to take a two minute shower and barked at Nichols and Morello to hurry up and meet at her cube. Alex was already dressed and waiting to go to breakfast. When the four women were assembled Piper told them about Red. "I feel really guilty now. I should have covered for her somehow."

Surprisingly it was Nicky who spoke out immediately. "No Chapman. You did what you had to. Red would have done the same, hell she did way worse to you."

Alex gave Piper a hug and kissed the top of her wet hair. "She's right kid."

Morello sighed and opened up Red's cabinet and began to take items out. "Anybody got a box for this stuff?"

Piper pulled out her box from under the bed and emptied it. "I'll keep her things safe." They packed Red's personal items and Piper stowed the box back under her bunk. "Except all these damn noodle cups. I say breakfast is a round of noodles for everyone today, in honor of Red."

Big Boo and Yoga Jones joined them for a meal of microwaved salty carbohydrates and the six women told stories and wished Red well in their hearts.

* * *

Candace thought the woman driving the van seemed nice. There were two other new inmates being transferred to Litchfield that day and the dark haired woman who had called herself Morello had given them the quick rundown before showing them where they would bunk temporarily. Then she was told to report to her counselor, a Mr. Healy.

She was a little shaky from the trip and the anxiety of the new atmosphere but tried to put on a smile for Mr. Healy. He didn't help by reading her file and then watching her carefully for several long minutes.

"Miss Johnson. May I call you Miss? You're not married are you?" Mr. Healy asked smiling.

"No sir. I mean yes sir, you may call me Miss. I'm not married sir." Candace practically stuttered.

"Fiancé or boyfriend? Some nice young man waiting for you back home in Ohio?" Mr. Healy's smile had dimmed slightly.

"No sir." Candace wondered why he was so interested in her dating life. "I haven't found the right man. The guys I dated weren't the best."

For whatever reason the smile was back. "I see. Well, I'm sure you will find someone after you complete your time here." Mr. Healy sat back in his chair. "Candace I'll be honest with you. We have a problem here at Litchfield. A lesbian problem."

"I'm not gay sir." Candace didn't really know any lesbians. Her hometown was small and not very accepting of differences. She didn't think of herself as prejudiced but she wasn't interested in having sex with a woman.

"I'm glad to hear that. Some of the Officers here don't think it is really a problem, but I'm concerned that several of the lesbians here are violent, dangerous. They have beaten other inmates and gotten away with it." Healy had leaned forward and looked serious now. "I think you might be able to help us with that."

Candace was really nervous now. "What do you mean?"

"I'm going to get you a permanent bunk assignment right away Miss Johnson. I just want you to keep your eyes and ears open and let me know if you become aware of anything inappropriate regarding the other inmates. If you do I might be in a position to help you with your sentence." Mr. Healy was smiling in a way that made Candace a little queasy now.

"Ok Mr. Healy."

"You'll be in the A Dorm, Cube 6. Your cube mate is a woman named Piper Chapman."

Candace re-gathered her things and found her way to the designated space to find a tall brunette embracing a blonde from behind as they both looked out the window at the late afternoon sun. She could tell from their casual intimacy that the relationship was more than friendly. Were these the dangerous people Mr. Healy was talking about? It was difficult to imagine at this moment.

The blonde sighed and tightened her hold on the arms of the brunette around her waist. Candace heard her speaking quietly to the other woman. "I think spring is finally coming. Look, the snow is melting."


	9. Chapter 9-Tools of the Past

AN-I am humbled by all of you reading and following this story. The reviews are very much appreciated! Thanks and enjoy.

Chapter Nine-Tools of the Past

The next few days saw a continued rise in the temperature and rapid start to spring. All the inmates found themselves drawn to the outside after a long frigid winter. Caputo relented to allowing the track to be opened and Piper immediately began running again. She was discouraged to find she was in the worst shape of her life after her time in the SHU and relative winter immobility. Watson was already lapping her repeatedly, although with each pass she did call out teasing taunts mixed with words of encouragement.

It happened in the early afternoon when Piper was working in the laundry. Any of the COs could have made the discovery, but it was Mendez who was guarding the outdoor area that day. He had been patrolling slowly, walking the perimeter of the fencing, avoiding the areas still muddy from the last of the melting snow. It was because he was watching his steps, not wanting to get a boot stuck in the muck that he spotted the flash of color.

The orange handle was sticking up when he grabbed it and realized what it was. His first instinct was to sound the alarm to freeze all the inmates in place for a search, but looking at the screwdriver he could tell it had been in the snow and mud for a while, months maybe. No inmates were anywhere near here anyway. Then he put two and two together and clutched the tool remembering that this spot was outside the chapel doors, right where Doggett had been attacked. Had the little meth head said something about Chapman attacking her with a screwdriver? It would be better to report this to Caputo immediately.

* * *

"It sucks that you have a cube mate. I was really enjoying the privacy, even if we did have to be quiet, which you are terrible at by the way." Alex made this pronouncement as she yanked down Piper's khaki pants and prison issue white panties in one motion before lifting the blonde at the waist and sitting her on one of the oversized washers which was currently chugging away.

"Then I guess it's good we are in the laundry where I can vocalize my appreciation for your, ooohhh, talents." Piper almost failed to finish her sentence as Alex wasted no time in spreading her thighs wide and laving a soft tongue through her wetness and over her clit.

"Hhhhmmmm, you taste extra sweet today. Glad I saved room for an afternoon treat." Alex's hum vibrated through Piper's nerve endings shooting sparks that made her stomach muscles clench. "I wish I could stay right here all day and tease you until you beg me to fuck you."

Piper gave a quiet laugh. "Baby I know you can feel how wet I am already, so it won't take all day to get me to beg."

Alex knew exactly how drenched Piper was. She smiled and wrapped her lips around Piper's clit and sucked lightly as she teased her opening with swirling fingertips.

Piper tried to push forward to envelope Alex's digits, but they danced away staying just out of reach. "Alex, please."

Alex's only response was to suck harder.

Piper used her hands on the lid to leverage her ass in the air, thrusting out for Alex in a wanton display of her dripping center. She whined quietly, enjoying the sensation on her clit immensely, but needing more. Then she felt a change in the machine beneath her. "Spin cycle has started, we don't have much time." She panted to her lover. "Please fuck me."

Alex chuckled and immediately complied, three fingers sliding in easily. Piper was moaning loudly now as Alex moved immediately to a hard rhythm as the washer vibrated beneath them. Alex could tell Piper was close and gave one more hard suck before lashing her tongue over Piper's clit repeatedly until the blonde came hard, shouting out her name into the empty room.

Piper dropped back down onto the lid of the machine, her legs flopping down the front as Alex rose up and embraced her limp body. "Good thing we have lots of towels around here. This washer is going to need a wipe down."

Piper hugged Alex tightly to her body. "All I want to do right now is crawl in bed and hold you. I hate being here, having to sneak around. I want us to start our real lives together, but we have to wait so long."

Alex didn't know how to respond. Piper only had a year more at most on her sentence depending on what happened with her good time, but Alex had closer to four remaining even with all of her good time intact. They had talked about it and Piper had said all the right things; that she would wait for her, come visit when she was off parole, write and call. But Alex knew how long three years could seem, how life could intervene. So she just nodded her agreement and kissed Piper softly.

* * *

When Piper got back to her cube after work, her new roommate was there. Piper didn't understand how the young woman had been assigned to a cube so quickly, well before she had a job, which left her in the dorms without much to do. Johnson was lying on her bunk staring at the ceiling with a glazed look in her eye. She didn't even acknowledge Piper's arrival.

Piper shrugged and got her things for a shower. She was perfectly happy to make nice with the new inmate, but felt it was the other woman's responsibility to make the initial effort. When she returned to get ready for dinner Piper became concerned. Johnson hadn't moved a muscle and now it looked like there was sheen of sweat on her. "Hey, you ok?"

Johnson turned her gaze slowly to Piper and answered as if she had been asleep, although her eyes had been clearly open. "Yea, I'm fine."

"It's dinner time." Piper offered as she slipped on her shoes and headed out. When Johnson didn't show while they ate Piper decided she was probably just depressed by the reality of being in prison. She thought maybe she and Alex could talk to her a little later.

Piper's thoughts were interrupted by a scuffle at the table next to them. Taylor and the bible thumpers were at one end and Taystee and her friends were at the other. Piper hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary; Taystee was being her usual loud self, but only in a jovial way. Everyone in the room had Taystee's attention at her next statement.

"Bitch get out of my face right now. Take those nasty teeth and sit your ass back down at that end of the table." Taystee was standing and had a couple of inches and several dozen pounds on Taylor who was, as Taystee had indicated, right in her face.

Taylor was not deterred. "I am tired of hearing you take the lord's name in vain. You need to show some respect. We know you are friends with several of the homosexuals, like your little friend Poussey there. God will take retribution for your blasphemy."

That was all it took. "Oh no you didn't!" Taystee hollered, followed by a firm shove right into the center of Taylor's chest sending her sprawling. Poussey and several other of the ghetto girls were on their feet instantly beside her. Taylor struggled to her feet and realized none of her crew had moved from the table and were all staring at their trays.

Officer Bennett had been at the door and was moving towards the confrontation as well. Piper jumped to her feet to defend her friend and found Alex had a firm grip on her forearm, holding her in place. By the time Piper broke free, the situation had somewhat diffused. Taylor found herself without support and backed off with a sneer and Bennett stepped in front of Taystee to keep things from escalating.

Piper sat back down fuming. How could Alex have done that to her? She knew Taystee was a friend and that Piper owed her. Alex leaned towards her to say something, but Piper wasn't ready to listen. She jumped up to leave the dining hall when she was intercepted by Mendez. Piper rolled her eyes. What did Pornstache want now?

"Chapman. Caputo needs to see you, right now. Come with me."

Piper didn't like the glare in Pornstache's eyes. It was smug and knowing. She glanced back at Alex, her anger having drained instantly away replaced with a look of worry in her eyes. Suddenly she wondered if she was headed back to the SHU for some reason and away from Alex. She couldn't stop from feeling a moment of panic.

Alex jumped up but knew there was nothing she could do except express her love and concern with her eyes as Mendez gave Piper a little push towards the door.

Mendez escorted her all the way to Caputo's office. The hallway outside had a small alcove where Piper felt herself being shoved. Mendez turned her and put her hands on the wall.

"Need to search you for dangerous weapons before we see the boss." The truth was Mendez was looking forward to this. Chapman was the type of woman who would never give him a second glance on the outside and she had somehow fooled several of the COs into thinking she was just a nice girl. Well, now was his shot at the 'nice girl.'

Piper thought she was going to be sick when Mendez kicked her feet apart leaving her completely vulnerable. He started at her neck, running both hands around to the front as if to give her the impression that he could choke her down, or maybe just silence her if necessary. His hands ran down her shoulders and arms quickly before coming up her back. When he started down the front he didn't even attempt to avoid her breasts. He stopped and fondled them, trying to pinch her nipples and growled a little in frustration when they didn't perk up for him.

When her top failed to satisfy him, Pornstache moved down. Piper almost swung at him when she felt the waistband of her pants moving, but she could feel her panties were still in place. Her legs were so far apart the khakis couldn't go down very far anyway. He squeezed her ass repeatedly before moving a hand to the front where he rubbed over her mound as she felt him hard and rubbing his crotch into her from behind.

Piper was trying to decide her limit. Attacking Mendez would certainly get her sent back to the SHU, probably for an even longer stint, and she wasn't sure she could handle that. As long as he kept his pants on and didn't touch her skin, Piper decided she would try to remain calm and think about Alex. They needed each other right now and she couldn't leave Alex to defend herself against the meth heads again. Finally it seemed Pornstache had tortured her enough and stepped back, ordering her to pull herself together before pointing towards Caputo's office door.

Mendez had thoroughly enjoyed himself. He knew Chapman was in trouble and couldn't afford any more. If she didn't go to the SHU immediately tonight, maybe he could have even more fun with her. He couldn't imagine Chapman really doing the damage he heard Doggett had sustained, but that might just be part of her deception. Right now he was just glad he had found the screwdriver, it would give his reputation a boost with his superiors and he still needed that after his embarrassment with Daya.

When she entered the office, Piper noticed she wasn't being offered a seat. She fidgeted not knowing what to do with her hands. Worse yet Healy was there, just standing casually by the window. Caputo looked at her hard for a minute before addressing her. "Chapman, you are aware Doggett has identified you as the person who attacked her."

"Yes sir." Piper wasn't about to volunteer any information.

"Well, Officer Mendez here found something in the area of the attack today, a weapon." Caputo was obviously waiting and watching for her reaction.

Piper put on her best flat expression, glad she had worked on developing the look, because on the inside she was completely terrified. Shit, shit, shit, the screwdriver. She had dropped it in the snow when she had been cut and never used it on Doggett, but it had been in her hand. How could she have been so stupid? Of course it would be found eventually.

When she didn't respond Caputo continued by lifting a gallon sized clear baggie from a drawer in his desk, showing her the orange handled screwdriver inside. "Do you know what this is Chapman?"

Piper stepped closer as if to get a better look. "A screwdriver sir?"

"Yes, just like the one lost from the electrical shop last year. The shop where you worked if I recall."

"I thought that tool was found?" Piper asked innocently. There was nothing else she could say to help her situation so she stayed quiet. Finally Caputo seemed to come to a decision.

"I am sending this to forensics for fingerprint testing. You better hope your prints aren't on it or you are in big trouble. These things tend to sort themselves out in the long run Chapman, if you have anything to say, now is the time." Caputo had narrowed his eyelids giving him a distinctly beedy look.

"No sir." Piper didn't hesitate. She heard Mendez snort behind her where he was standing guard. Healy just kept the same smug expression and said nothing.

"Then you are dismissed." Piper turned and Mendez opened the door as if to escort her back until Caputo asked him to remain and close the door after Piper scurried away. "Between the snow, mud and your grubby hands all over this, the chance of us getting useable prints is nil you know. Keep an eye on her, both of you."

"Gladly sir." Mendez left the office with the first smile he had felt in months.

* * *

Piper practically ran back to the A dorm. Alex wasn't in her cube. She moved down the dorm peering in each cube until she found Alex sitting with her back against the wall and her legs curled up clutching them on Nicky's bunk. Piper got to her just as she sat up and held out her arms.

"Shit Pipes, are you ok? What happened?"

Piper relaxed as soon as Alex's arms closed around her. She could hear her lover talking, but couldn't respond until her arms started to shake from holding Alex so tightly. Alex moved her to the side to sit on Nicky's bunk. Nichols had been surprisingly sensitive, standing up and keeping an eye out for any CO coming by and giving them a little privacy.

"I'm fine. Alex I was so scared. I was mad at you and left dinner in a huff and then I thought what if I get sent to the SHU and the last thing you saw was me being stupid and angry again?"

"Ssshhh. Don't worry about that. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. I was afraid you would get in between Taystee and Taylor and do something that would get you sent away from me again. I don't think I could handle that." Alex held her tightly against her chest.

Piper could hear Alex's heart beating wildly. Somehow that calmed and comforted her, knowing that Alex felt that strongly about her, even on the inside. Piper leaned up and kissed her. "Let me tell you what happened." She spoke a little louder so that Nicky would hear. "You too Nichols, I want you to hear this from me."

Nicky came back to the bunk and sat down with Piper in the middle. Piper told them both about her meeting with Caputo, leaving out the disgusting pat down by Pornstache.

Nicky gave her concise opinion of the whole affair before leaving, saying she wanted a book from the library. "Shit Chapman, that sucks."

Piper and Alex left when Nicky's cube mate returned and went to Piper's bunk. Johnson was still in her bunk and appeared to be asleep. Piper told Alex her concerns over the young woman and Alex agreed they could talk to her tomorrow.

The lights flashed for final count and Alex kissed Piper one more time before whispering, "They have nothing on you with the screwdriver. This will blow over like everything else."

Alex left and Piper went over to wake her cube mate. "Hey, you need to get up for the count unless you are sick and have a note."

Candace had never been a very good faker, but she did her best impression of waking up from a sound sleep when Piper spoke to her. She had been flying high from the Xanax she had gotten from Mendez in exchange for a blow job all afternoon and through dinner. When Piper and her girlfriend had slipped into the cube she was awake but decided to listen. Mr. Healy had made it clear she might get time off her sentence if she heard anything good. Unfortunately the two women didn't say much except talk about her; just some comment about a screwdriver and then she heard them kissing.

It didn't seem right that they could have a relationship in prison when she was forced to get what she could from the male COs. Of course as long as she could stay high, nothing else really mattered. She struggled to her feet just as Mendez came by for the count. She noticed he stared for a long time at Chapman, but barely looked at her. What was it with this chick; it wasn't fair if she got the girls and apparently the guys too around here. She'd have to spend more time around Chapman and see if she could get any information to take her down and help herself at the same time.


	10. Chapter 10-Cup o' Pills

Chapter Ten-Cup o' Pills

"It's from Larry." Piper held out the letter as she stood in front of Alex who was currently sitting on the floor of the library, her back against the wall.

Alex motioned for Piper to sit down next to her but made no move to take the envelope. "You don't need to show me what that says. I trust you. If you need to communicate with him you should."

"I want you to read it. Honestly, I need your advice." Piper gave the paper a little wave before settling it on Alex's knee.

Alex gave her a questioning look before picking up the envelope and slipping out the paper. The letter was short.

_Dear Piper;_

_I would like to come see you, if for no other reason than we need to discuss dividing up the apartment and things. Polly told me you were in solitary confinement partly because you were upset at my breaking it off and for that I am really sorry. This has all been more confusing and difficult for me than I ever imagined and I know it must be ten times worse for you. _

_I know I still love you, even though I'm not sure we can be together after you get out. The things that have happened, what you have done in prison, I can't seem to get over. I would like to think we could at least be friends again someday, but we can both decide that when the time comes. In the meantime how about I come a week from Saturday for a visit?_

_Love, Larry_

Alex refolded the paper and gave the letter back to Piper. "What do you need advice about?"

Piper sighed and let her head bang lightly back against the wall. "Should I see him?"

"If you are asking if you seeing him will make me upset, the answer is no Pipes." Alex brought her arm up and around Piper's shoulders, drawing the other woman into her side. "If all you need to do is argue over who gets the espresso machine, you can do that through the mail. But I think you should see him, I think you need to see him at least this once. He deserves to know how you feel and you deserve to tell him how much he hurt you too."

Alex kissed the top of Piper's head, running her fingers through the fine blonde hair. "And if you happen to tell him you are madly in love with this really sexy brunette and to get on with his life, well, maybe that's what I deserve."

Piper initially flinched at Alex's statement, but realized she was correct. She glanced around to make sure they were alone before giving Alex a long deep kiss. "You are right. We all need to know where we stand and that includes me telling Larry not to wait because you and I are together for good. Thank you."

"It's getting late; let's head back to the suburbs." Alex smiled and helped Piper to her feet before helping herself to more of Piper's lips.

When they got to Piper's cube, the ever present Candace Johnson was there, seemingly sleeping again. This time Alex stopped to take a long look at the young woman. She had basically ignored Johnson since she had arrived, but there was something bothering her now about the woman's behavior.

Alex sat down on Piper's bunk still watching Johnson until she felt a warm hand enfold her forearm and begin to stroke softly up and down. Piper snuggled up against her and Alex could feel contentment radiating from her lover. It was as if Piper had found peace in her decision and suddenly didn't have a care in the world. Alex was secretly thrilled that Piper was willing to make a statement to her ex, it showed her commitment to their relationship.

"Maybe we should talk to her Alex, she might be in trouble." Piper whispered seeing Alex's focus on the woman in the other bunk.

"I'm awake." Candace sat up slowly to face them. She looked at their entwined position and gave a little frown when Piper and Alex didn't move apart. "So you two are a couple, for real?"

Piper figured she should answer since she was the one living there. "Yes. I hope that doesn't bother you."

"Whatever." Johnson leaned her head back against the short brick wall. "Don't worry about me, I'm not depressed or anything. Just sleepy and bored I guess."

This time Alex spoke up. "You'll get a job assignment pretty soon. The pay is a joke, but at least it gives you something to do."

"Yeah, great. Pick up trash for ten cents an hour. I'd rather sleep." Candace slumped a little to the side as if it was too much effort to stay sitting up and then started picking at the skin on her arm.

Alex looked up at the clock and saw they still had twenty minutes until final count. "Let's go to my cube Pipes. I want to show you something."

"Ok. We'll see you later Johnson." Piper looked a little surprised but followed Alex down the row of cubes and then out of the dorm and into the adjoining bathroom. "What was that about? I doubt you can show me what I want to see in here this close to final count." Piper gave Alex her best sultry smile.

"Unfortunately no." Alex did a quick survey around the room to make sure they were alone. "I knew there was something that bugged me about your cube mate and I finally figured it out. She's high all the time."

"What? No. She just got here. You think she hasn't detoxed?" Piper knitted her brow trying to think back on her interactions with the younger woman.

"Piper you don't know druggies like I know druggies. She's got all the signs; she's sleepy, sweaty, picking at her skin and you must have noticed that glazed look in her eyes all the time." Alex was irritated with herself for not putting it all together earlier.

Piper couldn't argue with Alex's observations. "I guess that all makes sense."

Alex put her hands on Piper's shoulders. "This is bad for you. She might have stuff stored in the cube. We need to go through her side and yours carefully. They could send you to the SHU if they find contraband anywhere in the cube."

"Oh shit. I hadn't thought about that. What do you think it is? What should I look for?" Piper's eyes got wide thinking of the implications.

Alex pondered the options for a minute, hugging Piper close as she did. "Probably pills. They are the easiest to get in. Maybe Pornstache has reestablished his network now that he has been back at work for a while."

Piper shuddered in Alex's embrace at the mention of the tall CO thinking about how he assaulted her outside of Caputo's office.

Alex noticed immediately. "Hey, you ok?" Piper looked up and kissed her then nodded before tucking back into Alex's arms. "We will take care of this tomorrow. I'll find a way for Johnson to be away so we can search her stuff."

Piper stepped back into a fighting stance and put on a fake scowl before starting to shadow box around Alex. "I know we'll be fine. Believe me, I beat the shit out of Doggett and we know that little meth head couldn't lay a hand on me. No way am I letting some newbie little doper screw with me!"

Alex laughed and grabbed Piper's hand tugging her back towards the dorm. "Come on tough girl. You don't want to be late for count."

* * *

Candace wanted to go back to sleep after the dykes left the cube, but the pressure on her bladder wouldn't allow her to get comfortable. Looking at the clock she realized she had just enough time to go pee before final count. As she turned into the bathroom she couldn't believe her luck. Chapman and Vause were in there and she heard Chapman loud and clear admit she beat the shit out of Doggett.

Candace hustled back to the cube, her bladder forgotten. This was just the sort of information Mr. Healy was interested in and she smiled knowing the next day she might have a shorter sentence than she had tonight. Screw Chapman and her girlfriend.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast Alex made sure it was only she, Piper, Nicky, Morello and Boo within hearing distance. She explained the concern over Johnson and asked if the three women could distract the new inmate long enough for Alex and Piper to search the cube for contraband. They all agreed it was most likely pills, but inmates had been known to sneak in drugs and needles. Morello had to do a van run that morning, but Nicky and Boo agreed to get Johnson out of the cube and keep her away for a half hour before they had to go to work.

Getting Johnson out of the cube turned out to be no problem. She was up, dressed and headed down the hall when Nicky and Boo were headed back to the suburb to find her. The two women quickly diverted to catch up to Johnson and waved Piper and Alex back towards the dorm to begin the search.

"You missed breakfast again. It's the most important meal of the day." Big Boo started as she caught up to the younger woman.

"Thanks, but I don't eat breakfast." Candace didn't see any reason to be unpleasant. She was feeling really good this morning and couldn't wait to tell Mr. Healy what she had heard.

Now Nicky had her flanked from the other side. "Nice to see you up and about Johnson. How you feeling?"

"Fine." Why were these two women walking with her? She wasn't sure she wanted them to know where she was headed, but then thought what does it matter? Mr. Healy was her counselor and she might need to talk to him for all kinds of reasons.

"Good. That's good Johnson. We just wanted to make sure cause Chapman said you had been looking kind of sick." Nicky said nonchalantly. "We look out for each other, you know? And Chapman, well she's a really good person to have as a friend around here."

They were nearing Mr. Healy's office and Boo pulled up to a stop. "People have tried to fuck with Chapman because of her kind nature and it didn't turn out so good for them. Just some friendly advice, ok?"

Shit. These two were warning her about messing with Chapman, which she was just about to do by ratting her out to Mr. Healy. Maybe if she did it quick she could get out of the prison before anyone figured out it was her. "Yeah, thanks for the chat. I have to see Mr. Healy about something."

Nichols smiled at her, but the look she gave was 100% suspicious. "Well that's going to have to wait until tomorrow. Healy is off on Mondays. Why don't we go get a cup of coffee?"

Johnson had no interest in coffee. If she couldn't talk to Healy for another day, she could at least go back to her cube and pop a couple Xanax. She had stayed sober this morning for her talk, but now she could spend the day floating. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll just head back to my cube."

She was more than a little horrified when Big Boo put her meaty arm around her shoulders and began to guide her towards the cafeteria. "Oh, but we insist."

* * *

There were only so many places to hide contraband in the small living spaces. Alex took the bunk area and Piper went directly to Johnson's cabinet and they began to pat, lift, remove and inspect the limited articles the young woman had in her area.

Piper growled in frustration. "Nothing."

Alex agreed Johnson's area seemed clean. "You search your cabinet and I'll go through hers again."

Piper nodded and dug into her own belongings. She actually had quite a bit accumulated now and it took several minutes to make her way through everything. By the time she finished Alex had started in on her bunk area. "What's this?"

Piper looked up to see Alex holding the box of Red's stuff that had been stored under her bunk. "Red's. I'm keeping it for her."

Alex nodded and set the box down on the bunk, flipping the lid open. She saw Red's favorite magazines along with several letters from home. Despite their 'noodle breakfast' in honor of Red, Alex saw there were still two packages in the box. When she moved one, she saw the seal at the top was peeled back a bit. "Piper."

Piper looked up as Alex handed her the cup of noodles package before stepping out to quickly scan for any COs or other inmates in the dorm. Seeing none she nodded to Piper to open the lid.

Piper felt an anger rise within her. She had felt this twice before now, once with Doggett and again when she had seen Taylor hitting Alex with the bible. But this time it seemed even more personal. Johnson had intentionally invaded her personal space and put her at risk storing contraband pills under her bunk. If these had been discovered during a search, she would have been in the SHU for months and her sentence would certainly have been lengthened. All so the other woman could get high.

"We need to get those out of here." Alex pointed at the container half full of light blue tablets before scanning around nervously. "We're going to be late for work too."

Somehow Piper found she was now able to channel the deep anger inside of her. Her mind suddenly felt clear and focused. "I think there might be a way we can get rid of multiple problems at once." Piper couldn't stop the small grin that started at one corner of her mouth. "I need five minutes with no one in the dorm, be my lookout?"

Alex found Piper's smile infectious and matched it without knowing why. It didn't matter. She loved this woman and trusted her completely. "Always."


	11. Chapter 11-Pride Goeth Before A Fall

AN-Thanks for the reviews! I am so glad you like the twists, I'll try to keep them interesting. As always, enjoy!

Chapter Eleven-Pride Goeth Before A Fall

Candace wanted to rip Piper Chapman's cube apart, leaving nothing of the blonde's personal items intact or salvageable. The problem with that plan being it was her cube as well, and she had nowhere else to go. Any destruction she wrought would trace back immediately to her. Plus she knew Chapman was capable of violence; the blonde had admitted as much and her goons had reinforced the threat clearly. She had gone through the box under Chapman's bunk several times, then searched every conceivable hiding place in the cube before resigning herself to the probability that Chapman had found her stash and it was gone.

Candace knew it didn't really matter if Chapman had taken the pills for herself, sold them or flushed them. She was never going to see that supply of Xanax again which meant another 'favor' to Mendez. Maybe Chapman was a distributor to the inmates and that was why Mendez was looking at her so hard the other night at final count. If so she had made a tactical mistake in hiding the pills in Chapman's area. It had seemed smart when she did it, making sure she didn't get caught during any surprise searches.

Now she was facing at least a day of sobriety and possible withdrawal symptoms. She had been hitting the Xanax pretty hard since she got it. Candace just had to focus on the bigger picture. Tomorrow she could report Chapman's admission of guilt to Mr. Healy and he would make things better for her.

By dinner time Candace was feeling stir crazy. She could feel that itch in her mind and the tremor in her hand that foreshadowed the painful absence of drug in her system. Chapman hadn't made an appearance at the cube either and she was nervous about that looming confrontation.

Candace decided to take a walk and found the only places to go were the chapel, library or common room. Since neither the chapel nor library held any interest for her, she wandered into the common room and grabbed a chair against the wall where she could watch TV as well as keep an eye on the small clusters of inmates scattered around the space.

Most of the women were watching TV. The two exceptions were a group of whites, most of whom she recognized from her dorm, in a small circle with one preparing to lead what appeared to be a prayer or bible study. The woman doing the talking was completely average in all respects with stringy dishwater blonde hair.

The other group was mixed and gathered around a scrabble board, arguing loudly about the legitimacy of certain words. With a start Candace saw that Chapman was part of that group, although she didn't see the tall dark haired girlfriend. As she sat back to watch whatever nature show was on the TV, Candace wished Mendez was on duty in the common room tonight, maybe she could have talked him into a dose. Instead it was Bennett who seemed like a complete square.

* * *

Piper kept her head down even if she wasn't able to focus on the scrabble game in front of her. Where was Alex? She needed to get to the common room now for their plan to work. The meth heads had gathered into their routine circle and Taylor would be starting the bible study with her usual prayer any second. If it didn't happen now the timing would be off and their chances for success would diminish substantially.

Out of the corner of her eye Piper saw Candace slouch into the room and slump into a chair against the wall. For a fleeting moment Piper wanted to slap her for what she had done. The young woman appeared to be watching TV, but Piper could see her leg twitching and her hand rubbing up and down the opposite arm from across the room. Good, Piper thought, she was in early withdrawal already. Better that Candace be a witness to what she hoped was about to happen as well. Then the conversation she had planned for later with the druggie in their cube would be even more effective.

Thankfully at that moment Alex strode confidently into the room. Piper's breath caught in her throat both from anxiety over whether their plan would work and from the general feeling of awe that she always felt when she saw her lover on top of her game. She was simply the most amazing, gorgeous and formidable woman Piper had ever seen. A sudden wave of confidence flowed through Piper. Alex never failed when she set her mind to something and she certainly owed Taylor major payback for the abuse she had suffered at the hands of the meth heads thanks to their leader.

Alex had reached the circle of chairs in the corner of the room and stood opposite of Taylor, looming over the backs of the seated women in front of her.

"Is this a private service or can any sinner join in?" Alex asked loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear. No one could mistake the sarcasm dripping through the question.

Taylor looked up from her seat and narrowed her eyes at the tall woman. "Go away Vause. God doesn't accept your type. You have a date with the devil in hell and we all know it."

"Shit." Piper mumbled to herself. Taylor seemed to be trying to stay composed. Alex had insisted she only get involved if Taylor couldn't be baited sufficiently.

Now Alex lifted the Bible she had checked out from the library and flipped to a bookmarked page. "For if you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6: 14-15. I've forgiven you for your sins against me Leanne. Shouldn't you be as accepting? Don't you want to spread the word amongst us sinners?" Now Alex was outright smirking as she lifted the Bible up high above her head. "I mean shit Taylor, I brought your fucking book and everything!"

That did the trick. Taylor launched out of her chair to her feet. "Do not blasphemy the word of the Lord! You don't repent! You still want to act unnaturally, doing what you do with other women!"

Alex smiled. "Oh you mean eat pussy? Fuck em' until my hand goes numb? Remind me again miss born again, what passages talk about that?" Alex held up the book in her hand as if waiting for Taylor to direct her to the appropriate page.

Taylor was still standing in the middle of her circle facing Alex. Everyone in the room, including Officer Bennett was watching now. Taylor lifted her bible and pointed it at Alex. "I know you don't really care, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Then when you are burning in the eternal hellfire of damnation you can remember the words."

Piper couldn't stop the smile that started to spread across her face. It was going to work. Time slowed as she watched Taylor reach to open her bible, still holding it up in front of her as if she was in a pulpit and giving a sermon. It had a little clasp on the side that Leanne flicked to open the pages. But what poured out was not the word of Peter, Paul or John. It was a stream of powder and partially crushed pills, flowing like a waterfall onto the linoleum floor into a small pile in front of the confused meth head.

Nicky jumped up out of her seat and pointed as the last of the pill fragments fell out of Taylor's bible, but she was looking at Bennett as she yelled. "Hey, what the fuck is that?"

Suddenly the circle exploded outward. Taylor's followers shoved chairs and fell over each other frantic to back away from their leader and her book of big trouble. Alex too took a couple big steps backward and sat down in a chair just to make sure it was obvious that she was not in the vicinity of the contraband and to look as uninvolved from the event as possible.

Piper watched long enough to be sure that Bennett understood what had happened. The CO rushed over and grabbed Taylor's bible, opening it fully to reveal the small square cutout in the pages, just large enough to store a baggie of drugs, which had accidentally broken causing the powder and pills to fall out. He was already on his radio calling for backup in the common room and ordering Taylor to stay right where she was.

Now was a good time to leave. Piper slowly stood up and walked away from the scene, her gaze finding Johnson. She could see the young druggie understood where her pills had gone and looked furious. Piper passed her deliberately pausing to look her in the eye. "We need to talk later." She left not waiting for a response.

* * *

"Oh my god that was so hot." Piper groaned as she pushed Alex up against the back wall of the library, as hidden as possible behind the stacks. She grabbed two handfuls of luscious breast as she pinned Alex's lower body with her hips and thighs, grasping nipples through the material of shirt and bra. "You were fabulous."

Alex responded with one of those sexy low rumbling laughs that made wetness pool in Piper's pants instantly. "I told you I could get her angry enough to shake the good book at me. Wasn't even that much of a challenge really."

Piper shifted so that her thigh was pressing up into Alex's center. "Oh, you want a challenge?"

Alex wrapped one hand in the hair at the back of Piper's head and brought their lips together in a searing kiss. When she pulled back she looked around to see if anyone else was in the library.

Piper could see what Alex was doing. "No one is here. I told Taystee what happened to Taylor and she decided to lock up early. She left right after you got here; you were just too busy to notice. She said to turn out the lights and make sure the door pulled shut behind us when we leave. Her little gift to us."

Alex's lips peeled back into a feral grin as she slid to the floor bringing Piper down on top of her. "Well then we should make good use of the evening amongst the novels. It would be rude to waste such generosity." Alex was already lifting Piper's shirt off of her outstretched arms and kicking off her own boots.

Piper sat back enough to follow suit, loosening her boots and quickly unclipping her bra clasp. Then she moved forward until she was straddling Alex's waist, still holding the loose bra cups with her hands. She squirmed, rotating her hips and pushing into Alex's stomach until she felt strong hands grab her hips and hold her in place.

"Show me your tits Piper." Coming from Alex she knew it was more of an order than a request. On occasion Piper had refused such directives and Alex had enjoyed tormenting her endlessly, usually by taking her right to the edge repeatedly and then backing away. Piper had always ended up begging Alex to bring her to climax which was all the more explosive from the wait. But they didn't have the luxury of hours tonight so Piper slowly lowered her hands and allowed the bra to come with them. Her nipples were already semi-erect from the excitement, but when Alex began to roll them between her fingers, Piper couldn't stop her hips from starting to rock again.

Alex loved looking at Piper's perky breasts. They were so responsive and she could take Piper's whole breast into her mouth, stroking and sucking a nipple endlessly. She pulled Piper down and began to do just that, the blonde holding herself up with one hand on the floor as Alex worked back and forth between her breasts until she heard the Piper start to moan.

Alex moved her hands to Piper's waist and pushed at the top of her pants indicating she wanted Piper to take them off. Instead of just rising up enough to maneuver them down, Piper stood completely up and looked down at her lover. "I want you undressed too Alex. We never get to be completely naked with each other and I want to feel your skin."

Piper lowered her pants to the top of her thighs and then turned and wiggled her butt at Alex as she slid down her pants and panties to the floor. She heard Alex chuckle but was also pleased to hear her quickly disrobing as well. When she turned back around Alex was lying back on the floor on top of her clothes, her long limbs inviting Piper back down. Piper resumed her position straddling Alex and gave her a long deep kiss with their tongues entwining. Now as her hips rotated Alex could feel Piper's arousal on the skin around her belly button and she took the blonde's hips firmly in her grasp and began to move her back and forth on the slick area.

Alex slid a hand down combing through the short hairs on Piper's mound and extended one finger between her inner lips making sure it was coated before bringing to her mouth. "You taste amazing Pipes. Come up here and let me drink from the source."

Piper smiled and lifted onto her knees, shuffling up until her center was poised directly over Alex's face. Alex groaned and grabbed her waist and brought her down forcefully. Piper nearly shouted from the blissful feeling of Alex running her tongue in long strokes from her opening to her clit over and over again.

As fabulous as it felt, Piper wasn't willing to make this a one way endeavor tonight. As Alex paused before moving her tongue back down for another stroke, Piper flipped around and dove her head between Alex's thighs, lightly licking Alex's clit in the way that drove her crazy.

"Oh god Piper." Alex grunted in surprise. The sensation on Piper's center only paused for a moment and then the blonde felt her lover's tongue thrusting into her, reaching as deeply as the wriggling muscle could until she wondered if Alex was ever going to breathe again.

Piper knew she was close and wanted to bring Alex with her. She ground down and at the same time sucked hard on Alex's clit crying out her own release into the quivering bundle of nerves and feeling Alex follow moments after.

When she could move Piper spun around and collapsed into Alex's waiting arms. Alex kissed her on the head as she whispered. "Pretty good night, huh?"

"Yeah. Taylor should be in the SHU by now. I just have to go talk to Johnson. That isn't going to be easy." Piper sighed.

Alex tightened her hold on Piper. "I wish I could do that part too, but it's your cube and she put you at risk."

"I know. I need to do this. Let's just stay here for a few minutes, Ok?"

Both women closed their eyes and dreamed of moments of togetherness in another time and place.

* * *

Candace was infuriated. She had watched as her Xanax stash had filtered to the floor of the common room from that meth head's bible. It was obvious the dark-haired dyke had been egging the hick on knowing what was in the book. That meant that Chapman had destroyed her supply to get the other woman in trouble, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She just sat and watched as another officer came into the room, handcuffed the crying woman and led her away.

Thank goodness that Mr. Healy was working tomorrow. As soon as she told him what Chapman had said she would get some protection and a shortened sentence. It would be even sweeter payback on the blonde now.

Chapman didn't show up at the cube until just before final count and that was fine by her. She listened to the COs move down the row, clicking and calling out numbers before they called lights out and Candace crawled back into her bunk. She was starting to feel really sick now, shaking and sweating a little. She had almost dozed off when something felt weird. She opened her eyes to find Chapman kneeling by her bunk, her face inches away. The blonde covered her mouth with a hand and whispered to her to be quiet and listen.

"I'm going to make this simple and clear. You hid contraband pills in my cube, on my side. If there was a search I would be in big trouble. You saw tonight what happens to people who endanger me or my friends, and I have plenty of friends here. Because of your stunt you have two problems now. One, you have no friends, now or ever at Litchfield. Two, you are sick and the administration takes a very dim view of inmates on drugs. So this is what is going to happen. First thing tomorrow you will go to your counselor and tell him you are in withdrawal and need medical attention. You will be sent to the SHU to detox. You might want to stay there for your own good. If and when I ever see you again, you will stay away from me and my friends. Any questions?"

Piper's hand moved away from her face and Candace deliberately wiped her mouth with the back of her own before speaking. "I understand. I'll talk to Mr. Healy first thing in the morning." Candace couldn't believe her luck. The look in Chapman's eyes told her she was fortunate not to be getting the shit beat out of her right this minute.

Chapman sat back on her heels and glared at her again. "Good. Be thankful. You're getting off easy this time. Make sure there isn't a next time that we need to talk."

After Chapman returned to her own bunk Candace knew she had answered honestly. The dangerous blonde was asking her to do exactly what she was planning anyway, talking to Mr. Healy. Except the discussion wouldn't go the way Chapman envisioned. In fact, this little chat would play right into her hands.


	12. Chapter 12-Comeuppance

AN-Sorry for the lack of a midweek update! Thanks for the great comments. On we go!

Chapter Twelve-A Buffet of Comeuppance

Piper watched the clock move slowly through the dark hours of the night. Johnson was restless, flopping and shifting and emitting little whimpers and generally keeping her awake. Getting the addict to report herself should be easy by morning. At five o'clock Piper gave up on sleep and slid out for early shower. If she happened to quietly rouse Alex with a quick fondle on the way to the bathroom, well, who could really blame her?

Piper felt better about so many things. She had finally dealt with Taylor. Without her or Doggett, the meth heads were harmless. Now she was getting rid of her dangerous and untrustworthy cube mate. She had friends and more importantly she had Alex. Who was at this very moment touching her in ways that made her realize she shouldn't be thinking about anything other than her amazing lover. Her focus renewed, it didn't take Piper long to reach a shuddering release and slump against the wall of the shower.

"Wow. How can you be so good at 5:10 in the morning? Piper moaned into Alex's shoulder relying on the taller woman to hold her upright with her body.

Alex laughed quietly. "I guess you inspire me."

"Well, I'll be happy to provide any time, morning, noon or night." Piper replied as she slid down to her knees and grabbed Alex's right thigh, draping it over her shoulder. "Now let me show you how mutual inspiration can be." Piper wasted no time, her tongue and fingers finding Alex's engorged clit and swollen lips and working her to a frenzy.

Alex balanced herself by holding on to the shower handles which worked well until her orgasm hit and her hands gripped and turned involuntarily, spraying them both with ice cold water.

"Shit I'm sorry!" Alex yelped as she and Piper tried to scramble out of the way.

Piper got to her feet and tugged Alex close, as far as they could get away from the water in the confines of the shower, their overheated bodies keeping them warm. "If I was that bad you could just tell me to stop. You don't need to spray me like a dog in heat with the hose." Even as she teased Piper was kissing the spot behind Alex's ear that she knew drove her crazy.

"Ooohhh. You are too forgiving." Alex enjoyed the sensation for a minute more before sighing. "Can I make it up to you later? We probably should get out of here."

Piper nodded. "Yeah. I want to make sure Johnson reports to Healy this morning. Let's get clean."

* * *

Candace laughed as she saw Chapman in the hallway near Healy's office. The blonde was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. She tried to look sicker than she actually felt for Chapman's benefit. If Chapman thought she was in major withdrawals the real reason for her visit to Healy would stay secret until she was safely out of prison thanks to her reduced sentence. She wasn't sure exactly how Mr. Healy was going to get her out early, but he had promised and he seemed like such a nice trustworthy fatherly type.

Candace knocked on the office door and waited until she heard Mr. Healy call for her to come in. She took one more look at Chapman wondering if she would ever see the blonde again, and then went into the office, closing the door behind her.

"Mr. Healy?"

"Yes Ms. Johnson, good morning." Healy wondered why the new inmate was coming to see him and gestured for her to take a seat.

Candace sat down suddenly feeling nervous. "Well, you see Mr. Healy, it's that thing you talked to me about. How if I heard something about Chapman then you could get me a shorter sentence."

"Well I will certainly do everything I can to help you Ms. Johnson. What did you hear?" Healy was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't thought Chapman would be careless enough to say something to Johnson, especially so soon.

Candace smiled as Mr. Healy leaned forward focusing completely on what she had to say. "Well, I was going to the bathroom the night before last and I heard Chapman talking to her girlfriend, the tall one, Vause?" She noted Mr. Healy's frown and paused until the counselor made a little motion with his hand for her to continue. "They were talking inside and I heard Chapman say how she 'beat the shit' out of Doggett."

"You heard her admit to beating Tiffany Doggett." Mr. Healy looked serious but pleased. As Candace nodded he asked again, "Those were her exact words?"

"Yes Mr. Healy. She also sort of threatened me." Candace added as an afterthought.

Mr. Healy sat back in his chair. "Well, that is serious. Do you feel you might be in danger from Chapman?"

"Oh definitely. Or Vause, she's scary too." Candace figured it couldn't hurt to throw Chapman's annoying girlfriend in trouble too.

Mr. Healy reached into a drawer in his desk and took out a form which he started to fill out. Candace sat uncomfortably on the edge of her chair as he wrote. She was feeling more miserable by the minute and wondered how she was going to get her hands on something to take the edge off her withdrawal. She really hoped this didn't take much longer.

"Ok Ms. Johnson. I have written a summary of what you have told me, including Chapman's confession. If you could sign this form indicating the accuracy of the statement and that you are willing to testify against Chapman if necessary." Mr. Healy turned the form and scooted the paper to the edge of the desk with a pen on top.

Candace glanced over the wording Mr. Healy had neatly printed on several lines and signed at the bottom with a shaky hand. Mr. Healy took the form, placed it in his top desk drawer and then picked up the phone and made a call.

"So here is what happens now. You have done something very important here. Chapman is dangerous and your statement will help make a strong case against her. But you are right to feel threatened and our responsibility is to keep you safe." Mr. Healy stopped talking when there was a knock on the door. "Oh good, Officer Mendez, come in."

Mr. Healy stood up and gestured for Candace to do likewise. "Ms. Johnson has signed a request to be placed into protective custody."

Mendez raised an eyebrow briefly. If Johnson had reported him for the pills he would make sure no protection would be sufficient to save her. But he would be in Caputo's office right now being fired if that was the case.

"Could you please escort Ms. Johnson to the SHU?" Healy didn't know why Mendez had a confused look in his eye, but he needed someone to take Johnson away, preferably as quickly as possible.

Candace was confused. She was standing by the chair shaking slightly. She knew her mind wasn't at its best, but she didn't understand what Mr. Healy was saying. "The SHU? Isn't that solitary confinement?"

Mr. Healy smiled at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Yes. That is where inmates go who need protective custody. It will only be until Chapman and Vause are no longer a threat to you."

That made Mendez snort out a laugh.

"Go with Officer Mendez." Healy stated coldly.

Now Candace was starting to panic. She had heard enough about the SHU to know she didn't want to be there. "But you were supposed to get me out of prison, shorten my sentence, not get me put in solitary! I didn't agree to that!"

Candace saw a new look in Mr. Healy's eyes. They were cold as ice and cut right through her. He opened his desk drawer and took out the form she had just signed. "You signed a request for protective custody. We will do what we can to help you with your sentence, but you can't stay in general population here, it would be far too dangerous. Do you really think you can stay in your cube with Chapman after reporting her for aggravated assault?"

Mendez wasn't sure exactly what was going on but Healy's last statement was certainly interesting. It didn't look like Chapman had done anything to the little pill popper, maybe she had seen or heard something. He'd have to ask her about it on the drive down the hill. "Let's go Johnson. I've got things to do and I don't have all day to get you down to the SHU."

Candace stumbled into the hall and turned towards the dorm until Mendez barked at her. "Where do you think you are going inmate?"

"Back to the dorm to get my things?" Candace asked quietly.

"Nope. You will be provided what you need in the SHU. This way." Mendez pointed towards the door to the outside.

* * *

Piper was having a nice afternoon. She could never say great being in prison, but it felt pretty good. The meth heads had been dealt with and her cube mate seemed to be gone. Johnson hadn't been at lunch and wasn't in the dorm. Piper had seen her go to Healy's office, so she presumed the young woman had done as instructed and was in the SHU getting the drugs out of her system.

Of course working in the laundry with Alex was a bonus. The work was hot sometimes, but it was one of the better jobs in the prison, and truth be told she and Alex often made the room seem a lot warmer with their private activities. Alex kept looking at her this afternoon and whenever Piper caught her she put on that little smile. The one that Piper knew meant Alex was probably imagining her naked.

"What are you thinking about?" Piper hadn't noticed Alex coming over to her until she felt her lover's hands circle around her waist.

"You of course." Piper answered immediately.

"Good thoughts I hope?" Alex asked.

"Always." Piper turned in her embrace to face Alex. "You have nothing to worry about you know. I am yours."

"I know." Alex gave her a lingering kiss. "Let's finish up here and go get some dinner."

"You're not worried about tomorrow, are you?" Larry was coming to visit Piper for the first time in several months. Their only contact had been the letter he sent asking to see her and Piper had told him when to come via a message through Polly.

"No. Well, I'm worried, but not for me. I just don't want him to upset you." Alex knew the meeting was bound to be emotional, but she hoped Larry could be an adult about it.

"If he does I'll deal with it. And then I'll come find you and we'll make it better together." Piper looked Alex in the eye and spoke calmly and with confidence.

"Yes we will." Alex smiled.

The next day as Piper disrobed and squatted in front of Officer Bell, she was trying to decide if Larry was worth the strip search. Somehow she doubted their conversation was going to be pleasant enough to warrant the second search on the way out of the visitor's room, but it was too late now.

Larry was waiting for her at one of the small table's for two in the middle of the room. Piper realized he never sat near the windows, always in the center. She decided that must make him feel safer, like he couldn't be trapped and needed an escape route. Why hadn't she seen how really insecure he was before? As she watched him fidget and scan around with his eyes she realized she had known he was weak, but a part of her had liked that. The relationship had always centered on her and she had needed that at the time. That was evidence of her immaturity.

Well, no more. She had been forced to grow up quickly in prison. She didn't want to spend her life with someone who wasn't strong. Larry was nice, comfortable, but ultimately weak in the face of any real pressure. She took a deep breath and made her way to his table.

"Hi."

"Piper, hi." Larry jumped up and reached out to hug her and Piper gave him a quick stiff embrace.

"You look good. I was afraid after everything, the solitary confinement, you would look different. Polly said you were thin." Larry rushed out the words, his hands moving from the table to his lap repeatedly.

Somehow Larry's nervousness made Piper feel calm. "I've been working on my weight. Larry, I may not look too different, but things have changed."

"I know. Listen, I'm sorry I said those things before Christmas on the phone. I should have waited, talked to you in person. I just got angry and scared." Larry was staring at the table.

"It's ok, really. I don't think either one of us had any idea what me being in prison would be like, how it would change us. Let's just both acknowledge it was too much of a strain on our relationship. We both made mistakes and we need to move on." Piper spoke as authentically as she could afraid of sounding patronizing. "What do we need to do about the apartment?"

Larry looked up at her, his eyes narrowing. "You're still with her, aren't you?"

"I'm not going to discuss that Larry." Piper took a deep breath. "You were right when you said we couldn't be together after I get out. Some part of me will always love you and I'm sorry that things got messy and complicated, but that is life. And I have to be with someone who can deal with whatever happens."

"It's not fair. I tried to keep it normal. But you just couldn't wait for that could you? To get out and back to what life should be. You had to hook up with her." Larry's voice was starting to get loud and Piper didn't want a scene.

"You're right. You need normal and I'm anything but. Go find yourself a nice girl Larry. I've come to accept I'm not all that nice a person. Pack up my things and send them to my mom. Do whatever you want with the apartment. Send me the papers and I'll sign. When I get out I'll be starting over completely. The stuff just doesn't matter." Piper stood up.

"That's it, you're leaving?" Larry's mouth was open and he looked a little incredulous.

"Yes, I am." Piper leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Be happy Larry."

Before he could get up or vocalize another protest, Piper turned and walked out.

* * *

Healy was annoyed. He was behind in his paperwork and now Caputo had ordered him to his office immediately. When he stepped into his supervisor's door his annoyance turned to curiosity. Figueroa was also there.

"Mr. Healy, thank you for joining us." The tall woman spoke politely, but the expression on her face was pure disdain.

"Certainly. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Healy couldn't stand the insipid woman but knew she was dangerous to have on your bad side.

"I'll fill you in." Caputo spoke for the first time. "We just got back the forensic report on the screwdriver that Mendez found in the yard. Believe it or not, we actually got a partial print that matches Chapman off of the handle."

Healy couldn't hide his glee. "That has to be enough evidence now, right?" He had turned in the report from Johnson several days ago and still Caputo had refused to take action against Chapman saying a prison snitch report wasn't very impressive.

Caputo nodded and Figueroa continued. "Doggett has continued to push for charges against Chapman during her rehabilitation. Her statement combined with the fingerprint evidence and the statement of Chapman's cube mate really leaves us with no choice."

"We should be pursuing this case. Aggravated assault on another inmate cannot be tolerated and Chapman struts around here like she owns the place. Her and her girlfriend." Healy grumbled.

Figueroa stood up from where she had been leaning on Caputo's desk. "These types of incidents look bad for the prison and for all of us. It demonstrates a lack of control on our part over the inmates. But we will do our duty. The evidence will be submitted to the district attorney for review and he will decide what charges are appropriate. In the meantime Chapman needs to be informed and read her rights. See if she wants to make a statement."

* * *

Candace was miserable. She was trapped in a small concrete box with no access to anything. She couldn't get pills and the food was terrible. Mendez had told her she was supposed to get extra privileges since she was in the SHU as protective custody and not punishment, but that didn't really seem to make much difference. She got to take her shower in private and spent an hour every day in the exercise cage, but otherwise she was treated the same as far as she could tell.

Mr. Healy had promised he would help her get a shorter sentence, but she hadn't heard anything from the counselor since Mendez had brought her down the hill in the van. She tried to ask a couple of the guards who seemed sympathetic to her, but couldn't do anything about it.

With each passing day she felt the dawning horror that Healy had screwed her over. She had given him what he wanted and ratted out Chapman, but all it got her was solitary confinement. She didn't think she could stand to be here for her entire sentence, it would kill her. Or she might try to kill herself. The constant lights and the screaming from the other inmates were going to drive her insane. Maybe she could take it back? Deny that she had heard anything or say she made it up under pressure? Someone had to come talk to her eventually.

* * *

Piper was tired of getting sent to Caputo's office. At least this time it was Bennett escorting her. She liked the young man and all the inmates had heard about him and Daya so she knew he had his own secrets to keep. He had been the officer assigned to pack up Johnson's things after she was sent to the SHU. They had chatted about the problems with drugs getting into the prison, however Piper had been surprised when he said that Johnson had not admitted a drug problem but had requested protective custody.

Again Piper had been concerned for a day or two, but when nothing happened she forgot about it. Now she couldn't help but worry as they approached the office.

This time Bennett opened the door but did not enter. Piper found Caputo in front of his desk along with two people she didn't recognize.

"Chapman, this is Agent Murray and District Attorney Watkins." Caputo pointed to each of the men as he spoke. "They are here to ask you some questions about Doggett."

"Mr. Caputo, haven't we been over this enough? I don't know anything about Doggett." Piper started but she was cut off by the federal agent.

"Ms. Chapman I need to read you your rights before you say anything."

After he was finished Piper decided she needed to stay quiet. There was nothing she could say that would help her and she needed to talk to a lawyer.

"We are evaluating the evidence and possible charges Ms. Chapman. This is a serious matter. Ms. Doggett was severely injured during an assault inside the prison grounds. It is possible that an attempted murder charge may be appropriate. Are you sure you want to stay silent?" The district attorney asked.

"Yes sir." Piper needed to get out of there and talk to Alex.

Caputo looked to the men and then dismissed her. Piper made her way towards the laundry where Alex should be in the middle of the morning, but found her way blocked by Healy. "I told you it was only a matter of time Chapman. Your cube mate ratted you out and they got a print off of that screwdriver. You are going to the big house for a long, long time. Your girlfriend will get out and be old and gray before you see the light of day."

"You left me out there in the snow to die. You knew what Doggett was going to do and you walked away. I'll take you down with me. Besides whose going to believe a little druggie snitch like Johnson?" Piper tried to sound more confident than she felt.

Healy just laughed at her. "No jury cares what you say or what happens to you. You're just another dirtbag prisoner with no credibility. I can't wait for you to go to trial." He chuckled as he walked away.

By the time Piper got to the laundry she was panicked. She told Alex everything that had happened and couldn't hold back the tears. Alex held her tight and whispered words of comfort in her ear, but they could both sense the situation was truly awful.

Alex took her back to the dorm and settled her into her bunk, thankful that the other spot was still empty. She told Piper she had to go back to the laundry and to rest until dinner, and then she immediately headed to the phones.

This was a call Alex had hoped and prayed she never had to make. But this was an emergency, one that the person on the other end could solve. The price was high, but she would pay it, would pay anything to keep Piper safe. She couldn't tell Piper how bad things were. She had heard of inmates being charged and tried for assault and murder of other inmates and it never ended well. Once the DA's got hold of the case it wasn't just a matter of lost good time. It was a serious offense and under the federal sentencing guidelines could result in 10-20 years in the main prison or worse in solitary if you were deemed a violent offender. Piper would never survive that kind of time, and neither would she.

Alex picked up the phone and dialed the number she had memorized but never intended to use. When she heard the voice she needed and dreaded on the other end she used the code they had established years before. "Hi. I need a visit from our mutual friend."


	13. Chapter 13-First Kill All the Lawyers

AN-Thanks for all the great comments! Life is a little busy right now, but I promise to post as often as I can!

Chapter Thirteen-First Let's Kill All the Lawyers

"Polly I need a new lawyer, a good one." Piper had called her best friend in a panic and asked how soon she could visit. Polly came to Litchfield the next day.

"Is this an indication that you and Larry are really over? I know his father represented you before." Polly like Larry well enough, but her loyalties were entirely with Piper.

"No, well, yes actually. I mean Larry and I are done. But the lawyer request is a separate thing. I need someone with more criminal law experience. Larry's father was really just helping me negotiate a plea and this time I'm probably going to trial." Piper choked out the last part and couldn't stop the tears that appeared in her eyes. "I'm in real trouble Polly. My counselor has it out for me and he has ginned up evidence that I attacked Doggett unprovoked. They may charge me with attempted murder."

Polly sat with her mouth hanging open for a full minute trying to process what Piper had said. The whole experience of Piper being arrested and sent to prison for something she did during her Alex dalliance years ago had always seemed surreal. They visited and talked on the phone and she counted the days and months until Piper's release and that made it seem bearable. But attempted murder? That was what real criminals did, not her best friend. "Oh Shit."

"I know, right? Me an alleged violent offender possibly headed to the big house." Instead of lightening the mood as she intended, now Piper really was crying. "I need help Polly. I'll ask my mother for the money; I've got no pride left. Can you find someone from a good firm and have him or her come up here right away to meet with me?"

"I'll get with your mom and we will find someone to help you no matter what it takes." Polly answered solemnly.

Piper sighed deeply. "Good. Now show me some of those baby photos I know you brought with you. I need to see Finn and remember that there is good in the life outside these walls."

* * *

The second bunk in Piper's cube remained blissfully empty much to Alex's relief and enjoyment. Word from Fischer was Piper was too 'high risk' for another cube mate before her trial.

Alex spent as much of as many nights as possible curled around her terrified lover giving her support and comfort through words and touch. They still had to be extremely quiet, but everyone around them in the suburb dorm knew what was happening and gave them all the privacy they could.

"I'm going to make this ok you know." Alex was spooned up against Piper's back and had been kissing the back of her neck and whispering in her ear since neither woman seemed to be able to sleep. "I promised Polly I would watch out for you and god knows she can do some damage with that cutting sarcasm of hers. Don't want to get any further on her bad side."

There was a delay before Piper finally laughed low in her throat, but only for a second before it was choked off in fear. "She and my mother are getting me a new lawyer. He's supposed to be coming up to see me in a couple days."

"Maybe I should find out who she hired. I'm familiar with quite a few of the firms that handle federal criminal cases. You don't mind if I call her, do you?" Alex made the request at the same time her hand began wandering up the tank Piper was wearing to sleep in.

"If you can get Polly to talk to you, go right ahead. But I don't want to think about my best friend while you are fondling me please." When Alex started to pull her hand out Piper grabbed it with her own, moving it back up over her stiffening nipple.

"I can take a hint." Alex began to massage over Piper's breasts loving the feeling of the hard peaks rubbing in the palm of her hand as she alternated from one to the other. "This is when it really sucks that we are in here, because right now I want to do things to you that just aren't an option."

Piper was getting breathless from the attention to her top half, but wanted to get Alex to move a hand lower. "Tell me instead, what you would be doing to me right now if you could."

"Hhmmm. I like that idea. Well, first I would have to make sure you were sufficiently stimulated." Alex's voice was in her lowest register and as she emphasized the last word she smoothed over the skin of Piper's pelvis and reached down to play with the trimmed hairs on her mound.

"I think you'll find enough lubrication for your needs." Piper gasped out as she thrust her hips forward trying to bring Alex's hand into a deeper position. She was unhappily surprised when Alex completely removed her hand from the boxers she was wearing instead. "Alex?" Her lover's name came out as a definite whine and the dark haired woman laughed a little too loud for the setting.

"Sshhhh." Piper hissed as she felt Alex move her hands to the back of the boxers and pull the elastic down onto the back of her thighs, exposing the blonde's ass.

Alex grabbed one cheek, palming and massaging it hard. "That whining you did tells me you need what I would give you if we were anywhere but here."

Now two fingers stroked into Piper's cleft and ran from her clit back to her dripping opening. "I would take you like this, but you would be up on your knees with me behind you." Alex was speaking so low Piper had to quiet her breathing to hear. "I would know how much you love me because you would open yourself to me, wordlessly asking me to fill you up with my fingers, my hand, or eight inches of thick silicone, whatever I chose."

Piper had been so focused on the seductive words she hadn't realized Alex had slid two fingers inside of her until they started to move, at first just rubbing her inner walls and stretching. "Or maybe you would beg and plead for me to take you, to fuck you hard." Slowly the thrusts became firm, and then even stronger and Piper began making little noises until Alex covered her mouth with her free hand.

When Piper crashed over the edge Alex just held her tight and hummed into her ear letting her come down slowly, enjoying the lingering quivers and jolts that moved through Piper's body for several minutes. When Alex pulled her fingers out of their warm haven and leaned over to say goodnight she sighed finding Piper's eyes closed and breathing even. Still she could not resist telling the sleeping blonde, "I love you and I will fix this no matter what it takes."

* * *

The next day Red was back. She had spent a few days in the SHU followed by several weeks in the prison medical ward for chest pain getting a full cardiac workup. The ladies of the suburb dorm found her at lunch appearing well rested and not unhappy. Nicky seemed particularly pleased to have her 'mama' back and sat next to her filling her in on all the gossip she had missed.

Piper had gotten her tray but was unsure if she was welcome at Red's reunion. She started to head over to join Taystee when she heard Red call out to her.

"Blondie! Come over here and sit. We need to talk."

Piper joined the others sitting directly across from Red and a moment later Alex joined her greeting Red cautiously.

"How are you feeling?" Piper was nervous but wanted to show that she really did care about the older woman.

Red cocked her head to the side as if thinking hard on the answer. "Good. The medical ward is ok. I got a lot of sleep and the doctor's say I'm fine now." She leaned into the table and whispered conspiratorially, "The SHU was too stressful for an old broad like me, gave me heart trouble. The warden doesn't like it when someone dies in there so they had to take me to the hospital." When Red leaned back she winked causing the whole group to laugh.

The meal concluded and the inmates with jobs headed back to work, but Red asked Piper if she could stay for a minute. Alex said she would cover the laundry and left the two women to talk alone.

Red glared at Piper until the blonde couldn't stand the silence. "I'm sorry. . ."

Red held up her hand. "No. Don't apologize. You did what you had to do and we both know if the situation was reversed I would not have covered for you."

Piper scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Then what did you want to talk about?"

"I have some information for you and I think it is valuable. I also need your help. I was debating whether to ask first and only share if you agreed to help or to tell you what I know and hope you will assist me." Red continued to scrutinize Piper as she spoke. "I thought maybe you had gotten hard from this place after everything that has happened, but you are still a softie inside, aren't you?"

Piper shrugged her shoulders. "Don't be fooled. I do what I have to Red, you know that."

Red nodded and seemed to come to a decision. "Doggett was in the medical ward with me. Over the last two weeks many lawyers have come to see her, to talk to her, about you. They would pull the curtain, but I could hear them often. They are preparing her testimony against you very carefully. These lawyers have photos from the doctors to show how badly she was beaten and all of the surgeries she needed. They tell Doggett to describe how much pain she was in and how she still hurts and has nightmares."

Red reached across the table and grabbed Piper's hands in her own. "I am afraid this is going to be bad for you. Do you have help? A lawyer?"

Piper nodded. "Yes, I am meeting him tomorrow."

"Tell him about Doggett. He needs to know about this." Red squeezed Piper's grip and looked her in the eye. "Now I need a favor. Can you help me get a job back in the kitchen? I know I won't be in charge, but it is all I know and I can help. Will you talk to Mendoza?"

"I don't know how much sway I have with the Spanish ladies Red, but I will try. It would be good to have you back in the kitchen." Piper gave Red a hug and headed out before she got in trouble for not being at work. "Thank you for the information, everything I can learn has to help."

* * *

The lawyer was not what Piper expected. He was middle aged, graying and looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. But when Piper asked questions, he knew all the answers. He said he worked in a specialized department of a larger firm with a separate name. The firm didn't want the association with federal criminal trials, but liked the steady cash flow. He said he had handled hundreds of cases and asked if she was satisfied with his credentials because they needed to get down to work.

An hour later Piper had shared with Mr. Bartone the truth and nothing but the truth. She told him about her interactions with Doggett and the events of that night in the snow. She relayed the information Red had given her. She also shared Mr. Healy's complicity and his subsequent actions.

"Hhmmm. It's possible we might be able to use the information regarding your counselor if necessary. Although, that could potentially require an. . . unorthodox approach to your case." The lawyer looked sweaty in his suit coat and tie. His eyes darted around the small private room set aside for inmates to meet with their attorneys as if looking for a hidden camera before leaning across slightly across the table towards Piper. "Speaking of which, have you considered all of your options in this situation?"

Piper knitted her brow in confusion. "Options? You mean like a plea bargain? I wasn't aware that was an option."

"Not exactly." Now the lawyer was frowning. "Listen, I want to be honest with you. Your best case at trial is a self-defense claim, but it is weak. They have you with a weapon, the screwdriver, and Ms. Doggett unarmed. No one can account for the homemade weapon you describe her wielding. She was injured badly while you were apparently unscathed. And you are a convicted felon with a write up for assaulting an officer. I have the distinct impression that you are to be made an example and the district attorney is up for re-election this year."

The lawyer reached into his attaché and pulled out an envelope. "Read this carefully. It summarizes the federal sentencing guidelines in your situation and the possible outcomes. There is some other legal information in there too."

Mr. Bartone stood up and Piper could see the meeting was over. "Maybe you could go over the details of the letter with someone you trust?" He waited until Piper stood up and shook her hand gently. "Ms. Chapman, it has been a pleasure to meet you. I'm terribly sorry that all of this has happened." Surprisingly his grip tightened for a moment. "Please be ready to utilize any option that presents itself to you, even with only a moment's notice. Sometimes opportunities spring up very quickly and you have to be ready."

Piper was still trying to process his statements when she realized he was at the door and headed out. "Mr. Bartone?" The lawyer paused and looked back at her. "Thank you and I'll see you soon. My mother took care of your retainer?"

The lawyer smiled and then brushed his hand down his coat as if removing a spot of lint. "My compensation has been taken care of, don't worry about that. Good day, Ms. Chapman."

Piper mulled over the odd end of the conversation as she walked back into the search room where Officer Bell was stationed today. "What's that?" Bell asked as she pointed to the envelope in Piper's hand.

"Letter from my attorney." Piper held out the paper for Bell who checked the envelope for any contraband and then handed it back to Piper.

"Fine. Set it down on the table and strip, you know the drill." Bell intoned.

As she squatted naked and coughed Piper thought the interaction with the lawyer wasn't any stranger than the rest of her life. She dressed and made her way back to the dorm just before dinner and found Alex waiting for her in her cube.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Alex asked as she pulled Piper down to the bunk for a quick unobserved kiss.

"Good I guess. He has a lot of experience. Didn't seem very optimistic about my chances though. Kept talking about 'other options' but I don't know what those would be." Piper flopped back onto her bunk and tossed the envelope onto her cabinet.

"Is that from the lawyer?" At Piper's nod Alex grabbed the envelope. "Can I take a look?"

"Yea. He actually suggested I have someone look at the information with me, but maybe you could just summarize what it says. I glanced at it, but it seems awfully depressing. Mostly talks about all the years I can get in maximum security." Piper covered her eyes with her forearm.

"Sure Pipes. I want to know everything that is going on with your case." Alex slipped the envelope in her pocket and stood up, taking the blonde's arm in her hand. "Enough of that for now, let's go see what's on the menu at Chez Litchfield this evening."

Piper groaned but got up. "Speaking of eating, I have an idea for getting Red back into a job in the kitchen, but I may need to sweeten the deal with laundry favors. You good with that?"

Alex nodded. "It would be good to get a friend back in the kitchen and Red really is creative with the limited food options. Of course I'll help."

As the two headed down the hall Alex was glad for the distraction of talking about Red. Her pocket felt heavy for only containing an envelope and a few slips of paper, but she knew it was the deception contained within that was actually weighing her down.


End file.
